Rhino Embryos Made in Lab to Save Nearly Extinct Subspecies

The number of northern white rhinoceros have dropped substantially to the single digits over the past decade. The few that remain all have severe reproductive issues. Hopes of regenerating the subspecies only became worse when Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died in captivity last spring. “We thought, ‘The story’s over’,” stated Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt. However, it soon became far from over as Dr. Hildebrandt and his colleagues created hybrid embryos that can possibly be implanted into female surrogate southern white rhinos. The expectation is to see the first purebred northern white rhinos through this method in the next three years or so. However, a major downside is the likelihood of severe inbreeding in order to produce purebreds. This could cause reproductive issues for the hybrid subspecies and lead right back to square one.

Although I applaud the technical sophistication and advantages that have been made throughout this study, it is also concerning that too much technology might do more harm than good. Nonetheless, if this experiment proves to be a success, it could lead to the survival of other extinct subspecies.

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Save The Northern White Rhino!

 

 In 2015 a group of scientists convened to discuss the imminent extinction of the northern white rhinoceros and the possibility of bringing the species back from the verge of extinction. A publication of this meeting is designed as part of the ongoing effort to raise awareness for the extinction crisis facing rhinos and many other species. Above, the northern white rhino is seen squaring up for a fight in Kenya. The northern white rhino is very uncommon, with only three living individuals left on this planet and could be considered doomed for extinction. But now researchers have proposed a road map for preserving such endangered species through techniques that use stem cells and assisted reproduction technology.

With the new methods proposed in this article, we could eliminate the chance of species extinction if the proper cell extraction techniques take place. If enough cells are found of already extinct species, possible re-population could even happen! Imagine the possibilities of cellular recovery if this method deems possible. This technique would open the door for so many branches of science and could lead to even more groundbreaking discoveries.