Frozen Ark
Encyclopedia
The mission of the Frozen Ark Project is to collect and save tissues containing DNA from animals facing extinction, and to store it for posterity.
Animal species are dying out at an unprecedented rate. The current extinctions are largely due to the growth of human populations, which move into and destroy the animals' habitats. Despite the best efforts of conservationists, thousands of extinctions are occurring. This pattern is common to all animal groups and it emphasises the urgency of collecting the DNA and living cells of animals before they disappear forever. The loss of a species destroys the results of millions of years of evolution. The Frozen Ark Project is not a substitute for conservation, but a practical and timely back-up of genetic material for the benefit of future generations.
Tiny samples can be taken painlessly, and without harm, from wild populations and from animals in zoos. The Frozen Ark Project provides uniquely important scientific knowledge and a precious resource for conservation and research. We believe that no more animals should be allowed to approach extinction without their DNA being saved.
The Frozen Ark Project is now an international Consortium of museums, zoos, aquaria and research laboratories, all committed to this cause.
The Frozen Ark is a charitable frozen zoo
project created jointly by the Zoological Society of London
, the Natural History Museum
and University of Nottingham
. The project aims to preserve the DNA
and living cells of endangered species
to retain the genetic knowledge for the future. The Frozen Ark collects and stores samples taken from animals in zoos and those threatened with extinction
in the wild, with the expectation that, some day, cloning
technologies will have matured sufficiently to resurrect extinct species. The Frozen Ark was a finalist, along with Wikipedia
, for the World Changing Ideas Award in 2006.
Animal species are dying out at an unprecedented rate. The current extinctions are largely due to the growth of human populations, which move into and destroy the animals' habitats. Despite the best efforts of conservationists, thousands of extinctions are occurring. This pattern is common to all animal groups and it emphasises the urgency of collecting the DNA and living cells of animals before they disappear forever. The loss of a species destroys the results of millions of years of evolution. The Frozen Ark Project is not a substitute for conservation, but a practical and timely back-up of genetic material for the benefit of future generations.
Tiny samples can be taken painlessly, and without harm, from wild populations and from animals in zoos. The Frozen Ark Project provides uniquely important scientific knowledge and a precious resource for conservation and research. We believe that no more animals should be allowed to approach extinction without their DNA being saved.
The Frozen Ark Project is now an international Consortium of museums, zoos, aquaria and research laboratories, all committed to this cause.
The Frozen Ark is a charitable frozen zoo
Frozen zoo
A frozen zoo is a storage facility in which genetic materials taken from animals are gathered and thereafter stored at very low temperatures for optimal preservation over a long period of time...
project created jointly by the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
, the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
and University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. The project aims to preserve the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and living cells of endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
to retain the genetic knowledge for the future. The Frozen Ark collects and stores samples taken from animals in zoos and those threatened with extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in the wild, with the expectation that, some day, cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
technologies will have matured sufficiently to resurrect extinct species. The Frozen Ark was a finalist, along with Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
, for the World Changing Ideas Award in 2006.