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| THE FROZEN ZOO |
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| http://cres.sandiegozoo.org/projects/images/gr_frozen_zoo.jpg |
| Zoos and zoologists all over the world are rushing to preserve the many species facing extinction today by limiting environmental distruction and using reproductive biology to keep populations large. Unfortunately, ecologists struggle to slow the effects of man's civilization on animals' habitats and, despite their best efforts, species are slowly dying out. Interbreeding amongst the small remaining populations of a species eventually leads to a decrease in genetic diversity and the species will eventually disappear from this as well. The newest breakthrough in the preservation efforts is called the "frozen zoo." The general concensus among scientists is that an organism's primary function on earth is to pass on it's genetic material. The frozen zoo allows biologists to preserve an organism's genes by freezing its sperm and embryoes in a vat of liquid nitrogen (at -320 degrees F!). The idea is that the genes will be held indefinitely, or until the threat to the organism's survival has been eliminated. Resources: University of New Orleans, March 12, 2001: "The Frozen Zoo: The University Of New Orleans And The New World Of Saving Endangered Species": (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/03/010309080531.htm ) Arabian Wildlife Organization: http://www.arabianwildlife.com/current/fr_zoo.html Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES): http://cres.sandiegozoo.org/projects/gr_ipbir.html |