HAWAII, OAHU, March 25, 2001: Scientists are having second thoughts about cloning. Since 1997 when the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, was produced by scientists in Scotland, cloning techniques have been perfected by researchers. However even with the utmost diligence only 2 or 3 percent of attempts to clone are successful. Those that do survive often suffer from developmental delays, heart defects, lung problems or severe weight gain. Dolly herself had to be separated from other sheep in order to control her diet as she kept gaining weight. Under normal circumstances an animal egg and sperm take several years to mature. With cloning the egg is expected to replicate an adult’s genetic material in minutes or hours, apparently leading to errors in the DNA code.
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