TO CLONE OR NOT TO CLONE?: SCIENTISTS DEBATE CLONING EXTINCT BIRD

TO CLONE OR NOT TO CLONE?: SCIENTISTS DEBATE CLONING EXTINCT BIRD

HASTINGS, New Zealand (Wireless Flash) -- It sounds like a dodo of an idea, but scientists will soon be debating whether or not to clone an extinct New Zealand bird. The bird -- known as the Huia (WHOO-ee-uh) -- became extinct in 1920, and was once considered a sign of royalty by New Zealand's Maori tribe. But the birds' fate was sealed in 1901 when the Duke of Windsor was given a Huia feather, starting a fad in Europe. Tomorrow (July 9), scientists attending a cloning convention in New Zealand will debate whether to clone the extinct bird. Some researchers think it may be possible to clone the Huia by taking a cell from a stuffed bird and implanting in another bird a la "Jurassic Park." The cloning will be financed by www.cyberuni.org -- but only if scientists agree that it's moral, technically feasible and if the Maori tribe approves.

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