From www.express.co.uk
Researchers at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai injected a chicken’s germ cells into the reproductive organs of a male duck embryo, which when the duck matured, began producing the chicken’s sperm, according to reports.
The innovative technique will allow hens to lay the eggs of other birds – from songbirds to eagles – scientists have said.
The ultimate goal is to save endangered species – or even bring back extinct ones, researcher Mike McGrew said.
The team is made up of scientists who created genetically modified chickens that prevent the spread of bird flu and — most notably — Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned mammal.
In scenes similar to Jurassic Park, another team of scientists recently inserted the preserved genetic material of an extinct amphibian into the donor eggs of another species of living frog, reviving a species that had been thought gone for good.
While many scientists have argued it would be impossible to bring a species back from the dead, the recent breakthroughs suggests the revival of extinct species is no longer just in the realms of science fiction.
“This is the first time this technique has been achieved for an extinct species,” said one of the project scientists, conservation biologist Michael Mahony.