A racing horse was cloned for the first time by Chinese geneticists
The first cloned horse for racing, the foal Zhuang Zhuang ("Sturdy" in translation) was presented on Thursday in Beijing by Chinese scientists. The clone is already 7 months old - the color of its coat almost completely repeats the color characteristics of its original, the sports stallion Ursus, the champion of various equestrian competitions in China and other countries, RIA Novosti reports.
The work on cloning a half-blooded horse was carried out in the laboratory of SinoGene. Chinese geneticists began their experiment with cells in 2021, and the foal was born on June 16, 2022. The surrogate mother was a mare from the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. Zhuang Zhuang's coat is as black as Ursus's - the two horses differ only slightly in the color of the muzzle and limbs.
According to representatives of SinoGene, the main goal of the experiment is to breed first-class horse breeds in China. Currently, they are bred in the country mainly in livestock farms, as a labor force. And the base for breeding breeds of horses for equestrian sports is very weak. They are mainly imported from other countries, like, for example, Ursus, who was brought from Germany.
Cloning allows you to create an exact genetic copy with all the best characteristics of the original individual. With natural reproduction, no one guarantees this, Chinese scientists say.
It is expected that "Krepysh" can take part in the 2028 Summer Olympics. Then the stallion will be 6 years old.
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