WASHINGTON, May 29: A team of US scientists has successfully created a male mule through cloning, making it the first equine species to be cloned.
The authors of the study, published in the journal Science, stressed that the cloning of this particular animal could aid in medical research for humans, particularly cancer research.
The mule, named Idaho Gem, was born May 4 and is the first hybrid animal to be created through cloning, because mules are created by breeding a mare with a donkey. Hybrid animals are generally sterile.
“The results were impressive and immediate,” said Gordon Woods, a professor of animal and veterinary science. AFP
