The ecological adaptability of cloned sheep to free-grazing in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia,China

作     者：Xinxin LI Huijuan WANG Guanghua SU Zhuying WEI Chunling BAI Wuni-MENGHE Yanhui HOU Changqing YU Shorgan BOU Guangpeng LI 

作者机构：The Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and BiotechnologyKey Laboratory of Herbivore Reproductive Biotechnology and Breeding of Ministry of AgricultureInner Mongolia UniversityHohhot 010070China The Inner Mongolia Rangeland Ecology InstituteAlashan 750306China 

出 版 物：《Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering》 (农业科学与工程前沿（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第1卷第3期

页      面：191-200页

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 0831[工学-生物医学工程（可授工学、理学、医学学位）] 0905[农学-畜牧学] 09[农学] 0906[农学-兽医学] 0836[工学-生物工程] 

基　　金：This study was supported by the Basic Research Program of China(2012CB22306) the Integration and Application of Grassland Ecological Animal Husbandry Program of Inner Mongolia. 

主　　题：somatic cell nuclear transfer free-grazing synchronization Dorper sheep cloned animal ecology 

摘      要：Since the birth of the first cloned sheep,somatic cell nuclear transfer technology has been successfully used to clone a variety of mammals.Cloned livestock have no apparent health risks,and the quality and safety of the cloned animal products are similar to non-cloned animals.The social behavior and environmental adaptability of postnatal cloned animals,especially when used for grassland farm production purposes,is unknown.In the present study,the cloned Dorper sheep equipped with GPS location devices were free-grazed in a harsh natural environment similar to conditions commonly experienced by Mongolian sheep.The main findings of this research were as follows.(1)Under free-grazing conditions,the cloned sheep showed excellent climatic and ecological adaptability.In extreme temperature conditions ranging from–30 to 40°C,the cloned sheep maintained acceptable body condition and behaved as other sheep.(2)The cloned sheep quickly adapted from a herd feeding strategy to the harsh environment and quickly exhibited a grazing regimen as other free-grazing sheep.(3)The cloned sheep exhibited free-grazing patterns and social behavior as other sheep.(4)The cloned sheep in the harsh environment thrived and produced healthy lambs.Overall,the cloned Dorper sheep exhibited excellent ecological adaptation,which is an important consideration for breeding meat sheep by cloning.The Dorper sheep readily adapted to the free-grazing conditions on the Mongolian plateau grassland,which attests to their ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions.