Climate change, and illegal hunting cause many species of flora and fauna to become extinct or threatened with extinction. In the world now there are only two northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) but unfortunately both are females because the last male rhinoceros named Sudan died four years ago.
At first scientists said this species will become extinct because there are no more sperm donors to continue reproduction. But now scientists from Osaka University have found a way to continue this species using stem cells.
Skin cells from a northern white-tailed deer that died in 2015 were processed in the laboratory to produce stem cells. After several years of experimentation, these stem cells were successfully used to produce sperm precursor cells and egg cells. The next step is to produce the sperm and eggs of the true northern white wagtail before fertilizing them into embryos.
Researchers still don't know if these later embryos can be successfully grafted onto other species. Continuous research will be conducted to save this species from extinction forever.
Before the death of Sudan, the sperm of this last northern white-tailed deer was collected. A total of 22 embryos have been successfully produced but have not yet been implanted into the uterus. The technique of using other species to continue endangered species has been proposed by several scientists before, including those trying to bring back mammoth elephants.