Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Gaseous nitrogen hissed out of a metal container as I lifted the lid from one of the canisters housing the Frozen Zoo. The Frozen Zoo was established in the mid 1970s and is now the largest collection of its kind in the world. This incredible collection is critical for future conservation efforts and acts as an insurance policy in the fight against extinction.

Dr. Oliver Ryder, head of the Genetics Division at the Beckman Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES), explained how the Frozen Zoo functions (at a temperature of about -300 degrees Fahrenheit or -184 degress Celsius) and how it helps protect a variety of species. The Frozen Zoo provides not only a wealth of valuable genetic information, but it is also helps in the management of biodiversity. Scientists are working to create functional stem cells from skin or scar tissue by activating various genes. The cool implication about this is that an animal can be dead for more than 20 years but can still possibly be cloned. If the recovered genetic variation can then be reintroduced into the gene pool of the living population, it may help to boost genetic diversity in small populations.

These new techniques are not an excuse to abuse habitats or stop conservation efforts. Cloning is not going to save endangered species. The budding field of conservation genomics is helping to address research questions involving animal health, population management, reproductive biology, and the analysis of unique “biotraits” such as echolocation. For example, did you know that gorillas these days suffer from very high cholesterol levels? Scientists only recently discovered this through studying gorilla genes. Before the use of genetic sequencing, scientists knew next to nothing about baboon social behavior. Geneticists and behavior biologists worked together to classify lineage in a baboon troop. After sequencing several baboons’ DNA, scientists have discovered that male baboons rotate between different groups of females (the males had offspring in multiple groups), and male baboons will only interfere in a fight if one of their offspring is involved.

Amelia- Conservation Team

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Scroll to the end to leave a comment. Pinging is not allowed.