Researchers discovered that Iberian harvester ant queens can clone males of a different species, Messor structor, bypassing traditional reproductive barriers, a phenomenon termed 'xenoparity,' which challenges existing understanding of species boundaries.
The legacy of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, lives on in the field of animal cloning and genetic engineering. Scientists continue to use cloning techniques, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer, to edit the genomes of livestock, clone champion horses and camels, and create models of human disease. While cloning is still a technically intensive and inefficient process, researchers are exploring ways to improve efficiency and develop new methods using stem cells.
A female cheetah named Daksha has died during mating with two male cheetahs at Kuno National Park in India, raising questions about the adequacy of space provided to the animals. The other two cheetahs died of natural causes. Despite setbacks, experts remain optimistic about India's reintroduction program, which aims to introduce 50 cheetahs over a five-year period.