Washington - A genetic characteristic that sets apart primates from other mammals makes humans technically easier to clone than sheep, cows and pigs because it averts a major obstacle encountered in animal cloning, Duke University researchers said yesterday.
Primates such as humans, apes and monkeys possess two functional copies of a gene that helps regulate fetal growth, meaning cloned babies are protected from experiencing fetal overgrowth. This has plagued animal cloning efforts, the scientists said.