Mammals
Cloning to Preserve the Endangered Giant Panda
Among animals, mammals account for more than 15,000 species of vertebrate animals that have the ability to self-regulate their body temperature, have hair, and, in the females, produce milk. In the study of mammalogy, the branch of science that deals with mammals, there has been a growing concern at the rate of mammalian species nearing extinction. Thus, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was put forth to protect animals and plants on the verge of extinction. It also provides policy to the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine a listing of endangered animals and to develop associated recovery programs. The Fish and Wildlife Service subsequently has registered a policy for controlled propagation of species listed under the Endangered Species Act for a restricted administration of conservation and recovery practices where the purpose is to oversee the "production of individuals, generally within a managed environment, for the purpose of supplementing or augmenting a wild population, or reintroduction to the wild to establish new populations." A sub-focus of this policy is concerned with activities involving genetic development of offspring in a laboratory or other controlled environment where the policy requests that propagation programs have a minimal adverse affect on existing wild populations of endangered animals. Given the concerns over the ever-expanding list of endangered species, as well as considering the substantial scientific developments in genetics, would it be prudent and ethical to direct recovery efforts at genetically cloning endangered species, or even extinct species with recoverable DNA, in order to repopulate these animals for modern day species diversity?
Cloning endangered species offers a solution to preserving and propagating those animals that have poor reproduction rates in captive environments until which time that their habitats can be restored and they can be successfully reintroduced to the wild. One of the greatest advantages to genetic cloning is that it expands the genetic diversity within a gene pool, which is otherwise limited when only a few animals within the species remain. Genetic diversity is the key to endangered species conservation, but consequences relating to the methods to arrive at this point may be incurred.
The controlled propagation policy raises concerns over the use of technology other than the breeding of parental stock to reproduce and preserve a species. While genetic diversity could be maintained through cloning, there may pose the possibility of some adverse genetic effects if only a portion of the gene pool is enhanced. Also of concern as addressed by the policy is that problems may be presented if the controlled production of a species (i.e. through cloning) decreases the animal's natural capacity to survive, reproduce, and adapt in the wild.
The Act does not outwardly address the ethical issues to genetic cloning or other manufactured means of propagating an animal for endangered species conservation, but the frequency of loss of surrogates, embryos, and newborns is considered under the idea that "risk" should be minimized. The controlled propagation policy of the Endangered Species Act is very careful over allowing potential harm to come to an animal protected under the Act, stating that recovery efforts must "minimize risks to existing wild populations." The degree of minimal risk described by the Act is subjective and has been recognized as being "insufficient" in its detail by the Fish and Wildlife Service, but an outlined list of risk examples is provided in the policy, one concerned with the removal of, or risk to, parental stock that could lead to an increased possibility of extinction or decreased genetic variability within naturally occurring numbers in a species.
Cloning technology requires a mother to act as a surrogate. While conservation biologists may be in support of, or on the fence about, cloning as a method of endangered-species conservation, the concept of using either a wild or captive endangered female of the same species to assist in reproduction or act as a surrogate...
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