Lab-made embryos may save near-extinct rhino species
The northern white rhino faces a grim fate when its last surviving examples are two infertile females. A novel scientific technique might just spare the species from extinction, however. Researchers have successfully created the first lab-made rhino embryos in a bid to give the northern white a second chance. The group collected eggs from southern white rhinos using a new extraction device and fertilized them using the sperm from dead northern whites, crafting viable embryos with the right DNA to continue the species. There's a lot of risk involved. The researchers will test their approach using southern rhinos as surrogates, but a complicated procedure (the females need to be anaesthetized for two hours) and a limited amount of northern sperm (just four dead males) doesn't give the scientists many chances. If they run out of supply or the northern rh...
