Photos: On this day – July 5, 1996 – Dolly the cloned sheep is born

Posted Jul 05, 2012

By vwilliams

1996 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was a female domestic sheep, and the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer.She was cloned by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute and the biotechnology company PPL Therapeutics near Edinburgh in Scotland. She was born on 5 July 1996 and she lived until the age of six, at which point she died from a progressive lung disease.

Dolly has been called “the world’s most famous sheep” by sources including BBC News and Scientific American. The cell used as the donor for the cloning of Dolly was taken from a mammary gland, and the production of a healthy clone therefore proved that a cell taken from a specific part of the body could recreate a whole individual. On Dolly’s name, Wilmut stated “Dolly is derived from a mammary gland cell and we couldn’t think of a more impressive pair of glands than Dolly Parton’s”.

After cloning was successfully demonstrated through the production of Dolly, many other large mammals have been cloned, including horses and bulls. (Wikipedia)

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Dolly, right, the first cloned sheep produced through nuclear transfer from differentiated adult sheep cells, and Polly, the world's first transgenic lamb, are in their pen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, in early December, 1997. Scientists at the Roslin Institute produced Molly and Polly cloned with a human gene so that their milk will contain a blood clotting protein that can be extracted for use in treating human hemophilia. Dr. Ian Wilmut's technique motivated many governments toban research on human cloning. Dolly was later naturally mated and gave birth to a healthy lamb. (AP Photo/John Chadwick)
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Seven-month-old Dolly, the genetically cloned sheep, is surrounded by the media at the Roslin Institute Tuesday February 25 1997. It was revealed Tuesday that Dolly, the first animal to be genetically cloned from adult cells, got her name from Country singer Dolly Parton. Dr Ian Wilmut, who co-ordinated the work at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, told a news conference: "She was derived as you know from mammary cells and the people who were looking after her could not think of a more impressive set of mammary cells than those that belong to Dolly Parton." The scientists who produced Dolly said Tuesday that they welcomed President Clinton's call for a study of the implications of their discovery for humans. (AP Photo/Newsflash) **UNITED KINGDOM OUT**
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Seven-month-old Dolly (centre), the genetically cloned sheep, with pen mates Megan and Morag, at the Roslin Institute Tuesday February 25 1997. It was revealed Tuesday that Dolly, the first animal to be genetically cloned from adult cells, got her name from Country singer Dolly Parton. Dr Ian Wilmut, who co-ordinated the work at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, told a news conference "She was derived as you know from mammary cells and the people who were looking after her could not think of a more impressive set of mammary cells than those that belong to Dolly Parton." The scientists who produced the first clone of an adult mammal said Tuesday that they welcomed President Clinton's call for a study of the implications of their discovery for humans. (AP Photo/PA)
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Seven-month-old Dolly, the genetically cloned sheep, looks towards the camera at the Roslin Institute Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997. It was revealed that Dolly, the first animal to be genetically cloned from adult cells, got her name from Country singer Dolly Parton. (AP Photo/Paul Clements)
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Seven-month-old Dolly, the genetically cloned sheep, looks towards the camera at the Roslin Institute Tuesday February 25 1997. It was revealed Tuesday that Dolly, the first animal to be genetically cloned from adult cells, got her name from Country singer Dolly Parton. Dr Ian Wilmut, who co-ordinated the work at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, told a news conference: "She was derived as you know from mammary cells and the people who were looking after her could not think of a more impressive setof mammary cells than those that belong to Dolly Parton." The scientists who produced Dolly said Tuesday that they welcomed President Clinton's call for a study of the implications of their discovery for humans. (AP Photo/Paul Clements) **UNITED KINGDOMOUT**
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Discovery Young Scientist Challenge winner Shana Matthews, 15, of Palm Bay, Fla. gives cloned sheep "Dolly" a treat as other cloned sheep look on, Aug. 8, 2001, while visiting the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Shana met "Dolly" and the scientist who cloned her on a trip won as the winner of the challenge. Shana's mother's degenerative eye disease and her father's diabetes has her focusing her skills and interests on the human body. (AP Photo/Discovery Channel)
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FILE- Undated file photo of a sheep called Dolly, the world's first clone of an adult animal.Dolly, who is now seven-months-old, was developed by a team of scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team at the institute says the breakthrough will provide a massive boost to the battle to understand human and animal diseases like cycstic fibrosis, emphysema, BSE and CJD. The team made headlines in March last year when they cloned sheep from cells taken from embryos and cultivated in a laboratory.(AP Photo/PA/Files)UKOUT
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Dolly the sheep, who achieved fame as the world's first ever cloned animal, is displayed with her fleece after being sheared by World champion shearer Geordie Bayne from Hawick, Scotland, Tuesday May 20, 1997. The shearing which took place at Dolly's home at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland, is to raise money for a charity which helps sufferers of the killer disease Cystic Fibrosis. (AP Photo/ Ian Stewart)
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Dolly the sheep, who achieved fame as the world's first ever cloned animal, is sheared by World champion shearer Geordie Bayne from Hawick, Scotland, Tuesday May 20, 1997. The shearing which took place at Dolly's home at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland, is to raise money for a charity which helps sufferers of the killer disease Cystic Fibrosis. (AP Photo/ Ian Stewart)
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Dr Ian Wilmut, who co-ordinated the cloning work at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, is seen in his lab Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997 where he revealed that Dolly the sheep, the first animal to be cloned from adult cells, was named after Country singer Dolly Parton, because she was derived from mammary cells. (AP Photo/Paul Clements)
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Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut leans on the bust of German scientist Paul Ehrlich after he was awarded with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter science prize in the Pauls Church in Frankfurt, central Germany, Monday, March 14, 2005. Wilmut is known for cloning the sheep "Dolly". (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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Singers of the Synergy Vocals and the Orchestra Ensemble Modern perform in front of a video wall, on Sunday, May 12, 2002, during the general rehearsal for the world premiere of "Three Tales" from U.S. composer Steve Reich and international known video artist Beryl Korot at the Museumsquartier in Vienna. "Three Tales" recalls three crucial events of the 20th century like Hindenburg, Bikini atoll and Dolly the cloned sheep. The performance is focused on the physical, ethical and religious significance of the rapid technological development. The world premiere on Sunday, May 12 is part of the Vienna Festival 2002. (AP Photo/Stephan Trierenberg)
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Singers of the Synergy Vocals and the Orchestra Ensemble Modern perform in front of a video wall, on Sunday, May 12, 2002, during the general rehearsal for the world premiere of "Three Tales" from U.S. composer Steve Reich and international known video artist Beryl Korot at the Museumsquartier in Vienna. "Three Tales" recalls three crucial events of the 20th century like Hindenburg, Bikini atoll and Dolly the cloned sheep. The performance is focused on the physical, ethical and religious significance of the rapid technological development. The world premiere on Sunday, May 12 is part of the Vienna Festival 2002. (AP Photo/Stephan Trierenberg)
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Dolly, the first ever mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, with her first lamb, named 'Bonnie,' are seen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland in this video image made available Thursday, April 23, 1998. Dolly, who was naturally mated at the end of last year with a Welsh Mountain ram, gave birth to Bonnie Monday, April 13, 1998, proving that despite her unusual origins, she is able to breed normally and produce healthy offspring. (AP Photo/APTV)
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Dolly, the first ever mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, with her first lamb, named 'Bonnie,' are seen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland in this video image made available Thursday, April 23, 1998. Dolly, who was naturally mated at the end of last year with a Welsh Mountain ram, gave birth to Bonnie Monday, April 13, 1998, proving that despite her unusual origins, she is able to breed normally and produce healthy offspring. (AP Photo/APTV)
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Claude Vorilhon, also known as Rael, founder of the Quebec-based Raelian movement, answers questions on CNN's 'Newsnight with Aaron Brown' in North Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, Dec. 27, 2002. Rael launched Clonaid, the first human cloning company, in 1997 after the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to have been cloned from an adult.(AP Photo/Yesikka Vivancos)
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A pair of genetically identical mice are displayed at a news conference Wednesday, July 22, 1998, in New York. Scientists from the University of Hawaii say they leapfrogged over the Dolly the sheep, world's most famous cud-chewer to make their own test-tube creature - to produce the world's first cloned mouse.(AP Photo/Stephan Moitessier)
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Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama, Ph.D, displays two genetically identical mice at a news conference Wednesday, July 21, 1998, in New York. Researchers from the University of Hawaii say they leapfrogged over the world's most famous cud-chewer, Dolly the Sheep, to make their own test-tube creature - the world's first cloned mouse. (AP Photo/Stephan Moitessier)
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China's first heterogeneous cloned Asian antelope, right, stays with the goat giving birth to it in northwest China's Xinjiang region Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. The antelope, born on Jan. 21, was reported in stable condition. Different from the homogenous reproduction of the world's first cloned sheep "Dolly," the newly born antelope is developed by combining an Asian antelope's body cell with a goat's egg cell, the Xinhua news agency reported. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Sha Dati)
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China's first heterogeneous cloned Asian antelope stands in northwest China's Xinjiang region Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. The antelope, born on Jan. 21, was reported in stable condition. Different from the homogenous reproduction of the world's first cloned sheep "Dolly," the newly born antelope is developed by combining an Asian antelope's body cell with a goat's egg cell, the Xinhua news agency reported. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Sha Dati)
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Five seven-month-old cloned cows, from left, Lily, Daffodil, Crocus, Forsythia, and Rose, appear on a farm in Iowa in this recent photo, exact date unknown. Dr. Robert Lanza of the Worcester, Mass. biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technologies, along with other scientists, have cloned a total of six cows, including the five pictured, that show none of the worrisome premature aging reported for Dolly the sheep. In fact, the cows' cells seem to have a surprisingly prolonged youth, a new study shows. (AP Photo/Advanced Cell Technologies)
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Demonstrators with masks depicting sheep and German chancellor Gerhard Schroder protest in front of the Pauls Church in Frankfurt, central Germany, Monday, March 14, 2005, prior to the awarding of Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. Wilmut is known for cloning the sheep "Dolly". (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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Demonstrators with masks depicting sheep and German chancellor Gerhard Schroder hold plastic baby dolls as they protest in front of the Pauls Church in Frankfurt, central Germany, Monday, March 14, 2005, prior to the awarding of Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, worth Euros 100,000. Wilmut is known for cloning the sheep "Dolly". Banner reads "100,000 Euros for the destruction of life". (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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Demonstranten mit Schafs-Masken protestieren am Montag, 14. Maerz 2005, vor der Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main gegen die Verleihung des Paul-Ehrlich- und Ludwig-Darmstaedter-Preises an den schottischen Wissenschaftler Ian Wilmut, "Vater" des Klonschafs Dolly. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) --- Demonstrators with masks depicting sheep protest in front of the Pauls Church in Frankfurt, central Germany, Monday, March 14, 2005, prior to the awarding of Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. Wilmut is known for cloning the sheep "Dolly". (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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Demonstranten mit Baby-Puppen und Gerhard-Schroeder- und Schafs-Masken protestieren am Montag, 14. Maerz 2005, vor der Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main gegen die Verleihung des Paul-Ehrlich- und Ludwig-Darmstaedter-Preises an den schottischen Wissenschaftler Ian Wilmut, "Vater" des Klonschafs Dolly. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) ---Demonstrators with masks depicting sheep and German chancellor Gerhard Schroder hold plastic baby dolls as they protest in front of the Pauls Church in Frankfurt, central Germany, Monday, March 14, 2005, prior to the awarding of Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. Wilmut is known for cloning the sheep "Dolly". Banner reads "100,000 Euros for the destruction of live". (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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An elderly Bulgarian woman walks past animals on sale at a livestock market for the Eid al-Adha Muslim Feast in the town of Valchi Dol, east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by slaughtering sheep, goats, camels and cows to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command. (AP Photo/Petko Momchilov)
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An man looks t animals on sale at a livestock market for the Eid al-Adha Muslim Feast in the town of Valchi Dol, east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by slaughtering sheep, goats, camels and cows to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command. (AP Photo/Petko Momchilov)
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An elderly Bulgarian woman walks past animals on sale at a livestock market for the Eid al-Adha Muslim Feast in the town of Valchi Dol, east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by slaughtering sheep, goats, camels and cows to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command. (AP Photo/Petko Momchilov)
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People look at animals on sale at a livestock market for the Eid al-Adha Muslim Feast in the town of Valchi Dol, east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by slaughtering sheep, goats, camels and cows to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command. (AP Photo/Petko Momchilov)
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Polly, left, a Poll Dorest lamb and her Scottish Blackface surrogate mother at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Thursday July 24, 1997. New work by PPL Therapeutics and the Roslin Institute that produced Dolly the cloned sheep has successfully replicated the same cloning technique to produce five more lambs. This time unlike Dolly, one of the five Polly, seen here, carries a human protein gene. Animals with with human gene have been produced before, but the use of the "nuclear transfer" method presents a step on the way to achieving more efficient productions of proteins that can be used in the treatment of human disease and injury. (AP Photo/John Chadwick) --NO SALES--NO MAGAZINES
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A 6-month-old cloned calf named Gene licks the lens hood of a television camera in DeForest, Wis. Thursday, Aug. 7, 1997. The black bull calf was the result of cloning a stem cell from a 30-day-old calf fetus and is the first of its kind. The process used to clone Gene makes him significantly different from Dolly, the sheep cloned last year by Scottish researchers. Dolly was cloned from a mature, specialized udder cell. Gene's genes, in contrast, came from the relatively unspecialized cells of a 30-day-old fetus. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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A pair of new-born cloned calves sit in a cowshed in Ishikawa prefecture Sunday, July 5, 1998. The unnamed twins were born exactly two years after Dolly, the British sheep that made history by becoming the first clone of an adult animal. They are the second adult-animal clones, and were produced by a similar technique, said Toyokazu Morita, an official of the Ishikawa Prefectural Livestock Research Center. A spokesman for the center said the new technique would be used to breed better cattle strains with higher-quality beef or greater milk capacity. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)
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Hwang Woo-sok, a veterinarian at Seoul National University, unveils the calf he duplicated from the cell of an adult cow, at a farm in Kyungki Province, south of Seoul, Friday, Feb. 19, 1999. Hwang, 47, said he used techniques Scottish scientists developed to produce the world's first cloned animal, Dolly the sheep. (AP Photo/Yonhap)
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German Greenpeace activists, dressed as businessmen with cloned sheep 'Dolly' heads, pose for cameras in front of the European Patent Office ( EPO ) in downtown Munich, Friday, December 10, 1999. Greenpeace protested against the possibility of pharmaceutical companies obtaining the patent licence on human organs, hormones, cancer mice and other animals for commercial use. (AP Photo/Camay Sungu)