MetaChat - meet Snuppy

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03 August 2005

meet Snuppy -- the first cloned dog. (his name stands for Seoul National University puppy, and he was made from a cell taken from the ear of a three-year-old male Afghan hound.)

post by: amberglow at: 18:24 | 18 comments

*sets flower delivery for two years*

posted by ethylene 03 August | 18:27

What a cute puppy!

You know they've already cloned a human. It's out there somewhere.

posted by Specklet 03 August | 19:24

but could you imagine the horrific mistakes before they get a good one--dog or person? God forbid.

posted by amberglow 03 August | 19:25

"You know they've already cloned a human. It's out there somewhere."

I doubt it.

Even so, dogs have more chromosomes than humans do. Cats have significantly less. There was a lot of expectation that dogs would be very hard to clone and, I think, we'll see a lot more of the types of developmental problems in cloned dogs than we've seen in cloned cats.

There's no reason to think that it won't be eventually possible to clone healthy animals without fail, including humans, but we're a long way from that now. My impression is that the problems are coming from the alien intracellular environment.

posted by kmellis 03 August | 20:22

Also, for those curious, some types of coat patterns are developmental and not genetic and that's why cc (the cloned cat) looks notably different than its clone parent. This dog looks very similar, but there will be deviations, too, and they don't reflect a genetic difference.

Human identical twins are clones, of course, and they have identifiable differences between them. And they developed in the same environment in a way that you will never be able to duplicate with a clone (well, unless you gestate the clone parent in a controlled, duplicable environment--i.e., not a womb).

posted by kmellis 03 August | 20:30

but what about all the failures on the way to making a successful one?

posted by amberglow 03 August | 21:10

All the bad stuff aside, I think it would be cool to raise my clone. The whole "nature vs. nurture" thing would be interesting to follow.

posted by deborah 03 August | 21:40

but wouldn't you treat it differently from the way your parents treated you?

posted by amberglow 03 August | 21:55

Yeah, like calling it "it" instead of "he" or "she" (as the case may be).

posted by yhbc 03 August | 22:06

well, i bet he or she wouldn't legally be a he or she. Especially if it's done for spare parts.

posted by amberglow 03 August | 22:23

You know, I used to live in secret fear that one day my parents would tell me that I was really just a clone, grown for spare parts for my brother.

Then I grew up, and just lived in secret fear that one day my parents would tell me I was really just a character in a bad sci-fi novel.

posted by yhbc 03 August | 22:27

there was talk that W was a secretly-done clone of his father, and that's why he was so dumb compared to jeb and all the others.

posted by amberglow 03 August | 22:28

Well, sure. The "bad xerox" theory. It also explains the cheerleading thing in college.

posted by yhbc 03 August | 22:32

Wait, aren't we supposed to be talking about a dog here?

posted by yhbc 03 August | 22:33

aren't we? ; >

posted by amberglow 03 August | 22:54

Mmmmmm.... Cloned Kae Go Gae.....!

(apologies to Stavros)

posted by Doohickie 03 August | 23:29

but wouldn't you treat it differently from the way your parents treated you?

Yep, that's kind of the point. There wouldn't be any abuse, neglect, etc. It would be interesting to find out if she ends up as shy, overweight, etc. as I am. And yes, she would be treated as an individual/daughter, not some sort of weird mini-me.

posted by deborah 05 August | 10:22

merging two topics
microfiber bag that likes dogs?

posted by ethylene 05 August | 13:32

← did you do it? || Shivaree video →

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