Second Chance
Dateline: 09/16/99
A 21-year-old bull named Chance has been successfully cloned by researchers at Texas A&M University. It is believed that this is both the oldest animal that has been cloned and the first clone of a bull. Researchers believe that this could have a profound effect on the cattle industry.
The offspring, fittingly named Second Chance, has DNA identical to his father's. After a yearlong research project, the clone was born in August. It took some 189 tries to produce Second Chance. 189 cells were transferred into 189 different eggs until successful.
Chance was widely known in Texas for his easy going nature and disposition. His owners were interested in seeing if a clone produced from Chance would have a similar personality.
Chance has been on The Late Show with David Letterman and was the recipient of numerous awards. His testicles had been removed due to disease and cloning was the last option to attempt to preserve his genetic heritage.
While Chance died before Second Chance was cloned, scientists are interested in the effects that Chance's age will have on Second Chance. Scientists have noted that Dolly, a cloned sheep, exhibited characteristics of the older cells from which she had been cloned. These characteristics were not expected based purely on her age.
Each chromosome in an animal has a special end called a telomere. The younger the animal, the longer the telomere. As an animal gets older, the telomere shortens. Scientists will know in a month or two whether or not Second Chance's telomeres will be short like his 21-year-old father or long like a normal young calf.
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For additional information see:
- Cloning
Information on human cloning, nuclear transfer, a cloning time line and more. - Texas A&M Scientists Clone First-Ever Adult Bull
The original news release from Texas A&M University.
