What impact will cloning have on genetic diversity?
Our typical client wishes to obtain a single clone of a mixed breed pet that is spayed, neutered, or beyond breeding age. The clone, therefore, will actually preserve the diversity of the gene pool by preventing the loss of the individual genome. However, the pet population is already so large and varied that concerns over diversity are irrelevant. For endangered species, the big surprise is that cloning may actually increase genetic diversity. There are various reasons why some individuals within an endangered population do not breed, including age, environmental factors, or simply being at the wrong level for breeding status in that species’ social hierarchy. By cloning non-breeding or deceased members of an endangered population, we can potentially increase the genetic diversity of that species. Our policy is that cloning should be the method of last resort for species preservation, because it is far less efficient than habitat preservation, poaching control, and captive breeding. H
Our typical client wishes to obtain a single clone of a mixed breed pet that is spayed, neutered, or beyond breeding age. The clone, therefore, will actually preserve the diversity of the gene pool by preventing the loss of the individual genome. However, the pet population is already so large and varied that concerns over diversity are irrelevant. For endangered species, the big surprise is that cloning may actually increase genetic diversity. There are various reasons why some individuals within an endangered population do not breed, including age, environmental factors, or simply being at the wrong level for breeding status in that species’ social hierarchy. By cloning non-breeding or deceased members of an endangered population, we can potentially increase the genetic diversity of that species. Our policy is that cloning should be the method of last resort for species preservation, because it is far less efficient than habitat preservation, poaching control, and captive breeding.
