20 Jun 2000 Australia:
Tassie tiger clone doubts
Original Article By Bronwyn Hurrell
Scientists are expressing doubts that the Tasmanian tiger can be brought back through cloning. On 19 June 2000, British scientist Alan Colman, who headed the team which cloned the first sheep, told the University of New South Wales he doubted cloning could help save endangered species. He says it is unlikely that the Tasmanian tiger, dinosaurs and other extinct species can be brought back from the grave, as species are by definition distinct because they cannot mate with each other. He questions where, for example, one might find a suitable egg to attach DNA to. However, he says similar species may be saved using eggs from similar species and points out that much has yet to be learned about the process.