Negative effects of animal cloning on biodiversity and lifespan

Negative Effects of Animal Cloning

A method used to produce multiple copies of a certain animal is referred to as animal cloning. The most frequently and latest method of cloning is called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. In this method, the nucleus is removed from one animal and replaced with a nucleus from the animal to be cloned Panno, 2009.

In most cases, the donor has to be an animal which has desirable traits. The cell will develop into an embryo that will be implanted into the surrogate mother. The born animal will have the same DNA as that of the donor animal, which will ensure that it will also have the same desirable traits.

Less biodiversity

Due to cloning and using of animals with the desirable traits, there is a likelihood that the animals cloned will all have the same DNA which will result in no biodiversity. This will mean that in case one animal is affected by a certain disease, there is a high chance that all the other cloned animals will be infected too. There are other far reaching consequences to this like a whole population of animals can be wiped out because of a particular disease. This will affect the whole food chain for other animals as well.

The lack of diversity in animals would lead to the weakening of the animals' ability for adaptation. Since cloning will use the DNA of certain animals, the resultant clones would not be able to adapt to environmental changes. Without diversity, the population of animals will not manage to adapt in order for its survival. As cloned animals will mostly have the same gene pool, there will not be any variable traits that would allow the cloned animals to adapt. Genetic diversity allows a species to evolve. Cloned animals will have less genetic variations and this would put the animals at greater risks.

Adverse health

Cloned animals may look normal for days, weeks, or even months after birth, but there are some other effects that will affect the cloned animals. Research has shown that though clones may seem normal, there is a high likelihood that the clones will develop some defects later on in life. In a study conducted by Japanese scientists indicates that out of the twelve mice that they cloned, ten mice died before they were 800 days old. In natural mice, the result was totally different. Out of thirteen only three had died in the same period. The scientists said that the mice had compromised immunity.

The donor animal had all the desirable traits, but the scientists discovered that the animals had developed serious liver damage, pneumonia, leukemia, and lung cancer. There is also likelihood that the cloned animals will develop other abnormalities later on in life if they do survive at all. It had been observed that some animals developed obesity others had elongated certain parts of their chromosomes. The animals have the same genetic variations and would mean that they would all suffer from the same diseases. Lack of genetic variations would not allow the cloned animals to adapt to the changing environment. A weakened species would not survive.

It is not just the cloned animals that have adverse health. The surrogate mothers involved in the cloning process are also at risk of adverse health problems. The surrogate mothers for sheep and cows have been known to experience some gestational complications later on in life. Due to the number of miscarriages experienced by surrogate mothers, there is likelihood that the surrogate mothers will undergo a lot of pain and suffering.

Ethical concerns

When scientists create life in a laboratory it is viewed as thought they are playing God. There are many people who object to cloning of animals as they see it as scientists are experimenting and they decide on the fate of the cloned animals Rollin, 2006.

There are also other unpredictable factors that exist. Talk of cloning extinct animals may result in severe environmental implications. This is because these animals would disrupt the ecosystem as it no longer supports these species. There has also been talk of human cloning as a result of testing on animals.

Groups that are pro-life argue that embryos that are experimented on, dismembered and killed are living beings. Thus, they see cloning as being monstrous and taking the lives of living creatures. Though this research has some good intentions, the groups are fighting due to ethical concerns of cloning. It is vital for scientists to recognize that animals too have rights, and it is not fair to make them suffer and undergo so much pain for research purposes.

Conclusion

The future of cloning is uncertain, but it is clear that cloning has more negative effects that need to be considered before it is encouraged. Scientists need to understand that cloning only desirable animals will lead to species that cannot adapt to changes and have serious inbreeding issues. Cloned animals will have the same genetic variations, which hampers healthy reproduction. The cloned animals will always be affected by the same diseases because there are no different genes from the parents. For successful cloning of animals scientists will need to ensure they select different donors, this will ensure that there is a variety of genetic variations. This is easier said than done as that is not the main goal of cloning. The cost involved in cloning is also prohibitive when compared to other means of animal reproduction, though the failure rates of cloning are considerably higher.