Reviving an Extinct Zebra Subspecies

Just outside of Cape Town in South Africa, there is a valley that roams with zebras.  More specifically, these zebras are known as Quaggas, which are a subspecies of the plains zebra.  The main difference between the Quaggas and the zebras we all know well reside in the markings on the body.  The Quaggas have no markings near the back of their bodies and have darker brown coloration.

The second difference between the two subspecies is that the Quaggas died out in 1883 after being hunted to extinction in the 19th century.  So how did the Quaggas end up just outside of Cape Town?

A DNA project for the Quaggas was founded by the late Reinhold Rau, a German-born South African natural historian, who had DNA samples from a quagga skin at the South African Museum analysed.  The DNA was found to be very similar to the zebras we see today, so zebras with weak or nonexistent streaks near the rear were selected for this project.  These zebras, although still field zebras, contained fragments or small traits of Quagga DNA within their own DNA, thus the weak/nonexistent strips on their hinds.  To exhibit more and more of the Quagga genes, selected zebras were bred together to try and produce the coloring found on the Quagga species.  After 5 generations of selective breeding, the project is satisfied that it has recreated the Quagga.  "To all intents and purposes they are the Quagga back again.  The project has been a complete success," says Eric Harley, a retired professor of chemical pathology at the University of Cape Town.  "We don't do genetic engineering, we aren't cloning, we aren't doing any particularly clever sort of embryo transfers - it is a very simple project of selective breeding."

However, the project has faced numerous criticism from many scientists who argue that selective breeding is mainly used for profits.  In addition, they state that the process is unjustifiable and should not have occurred.  "I think there is controversy with all programs like this.  There is no way that all scientists are going to agree that this is the right way to go," said Harley.  "We are a bunch of enthusiastic people trying to do something to replace something that we messed up many years ago."  Even facing some strong criticism, this project has seemingly brought the Rau-Quagga (named after the project to create distinction from its forebears) out of extinction and back into the wild.  Unlike other hybrid animals that have received treatment, the newly bred Rau-Quagga can reproduce among themselves, ensuring that with the right care and protection, this species can survive and thrive.

For more information on this topic, check out these links:

http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html
http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-say-they-ve-revived-an-extinct-sub-species-of-zebra

"I think there is controversy with all programmes like this. There is no way that all scientists are going to agree that this is the right way to go," he said.
"We are a bunch of enthusiastic people trying to do something to replace something that we messed up many years ago."


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

"I think there is controversy with all programmes like this. There is no way that all scientists are going to agree that this is the right way to go," he said.
"We are a bunch of enthusiastic people trying to do something to replace something that we messed up many years ago."


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

"We don't do genetic engineering, we aren't cloning, we aren't doing any particularly clever sort of embryo transfers—it is a very simple project of selective breeding," he said.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

"We don't do genetic engineering, we aren't cloning, we aren't doing any particularly clever sort of embryo transfers—it is a very simple project of selective breeding," he said.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

"To all intents and purposes they are the quagga back again. The project has been a complete success."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

"To all intents and purposes they are the quagga back again. The project has been a complete success."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

by the late Reinhold Rau, a German-born South African natural historian, who had DNA samples from a quagga skin at the South African Museum analysed

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

by the late Reinhold Rau, a German-born South African natural historian, who had DNA samples from a quagga skin at the South African Museum analysed

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

by the late Reinhold Rau, a German-born South African natural historian, who had DNA samples from a quagga skin at the South African Museum analysed

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#jCp

by the late Reinhold Rau, a German-born South African natural historian, who had DNA samples from a quagga skin at the South African Museum analysed

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-south-africa-revives-extinct-zebra.html#j