A Clone Is Not A Twin After All

Two new studies have shown that cloned pigs act and look different from the animal whose original DNA they carry. In fact, clones can vary in physical appearance and behavior as much as animals bred conventionally do. The findings debunk the popular myth clones are carbon copies of their “parents.” Researchers said the public has been fed the notion cloning technology can create cookie-cutter animals -? pets, for example. “The implication is that your cloned pet is going to behave and look like the one you already have and that will not be the case,” said Jorge Piedrahita, researcher at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Some characteristics might not be the same as parent traits because genetic errors can be introduced during the cloning process -? a good reason, Piedrahita said, for cloning researchers to proceed carefully. He added some clones will be very healthy while others will not be able to survive.