African penguins are among the smaller breeds, known for their irregular markings and loud voices.
The species is also in sharp decline, from a population of more than one million at the beginning of the 20th century to just 55,000 in 2010 - when they were declared endangered.
South African bioscientist Patrick Siyambulela Mafunda learned of the birds' plight while researching options for his PhD at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He discussed the major challenges of conservation with supervisors and arrived at a novel approach: In-vitro fertilization (IVF).
"What pushed me was knowing this was the only African penguin species we have," says Mafunda. "Preserving a genetic pool could be vital."
There was another incentive. While similar experiments had been conducted with other species, Mafunda knew of no other effort to artificially inseminate an African penguin. He could be the first.
Source: CNN
Rest of Article: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/30/africa/ivf-treatment-penguin/index.html
The species is also in sharp decline, from a population of more than one million at the beginning of the 20th century to just 55,000 in 2010 - when they were declared endangered.
South African bioscientist Patrick Siyambulela Mafunda learned of the birds' plight while researching options for his PhD at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He discussed the major challenges of conservation with supervisors and arrived at a novel approach: In-vitro fertilization (IVF).
"What pushed me was knowing this was the only African penguin species we have," says Mafunda. "Preserving a genetic pool could be vital."
There was another incentive. While similar experiments had been conducted with other species, Mafunda knew of no other effort to artificially inseminate an African penguin. He could be the first.
Source: CNN
Rest of Article: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/30/africa/ivf-treatment-penguin/index.html