Cloned GSD cnn video .......your thoughts? - Page 1

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2010/12/22/giving.in.focus.trackr.legacy.cnn?hpt=T2 Saw this on CNN this morning, not sure where I stand on this. Don't know that its a great idea. Figure it would make a nice topic. What would be the affects if we started to clone the great ones i.e. multiple yoschy's. Do you think that temperament would be cloned as well? What would it do to bloodlines? Would be interesting to see the differences between three identical dogs raised in different environments....would see which has more impact nature vs. Nurture. Something to ponder over your mornin coffee!

Epigenetic differences will set them apart moreso than later environmental influence can.  If there were a process that also replicates how that dna is expressed (whether each gene is turned on or off), then we could see an even greater similarity between them.  As is, certain genes are activated while others go unexpressed, despite their dna being for the most part identical, minus the usual errors during the transcription process.

Wow, So in simpler terms are you saying that the dogs may physically be identical but mentally be very different, in essence producing 5 very different dog?

I'm saying the dogs can be genetically identical but phenotypically/outwardly different (mental & physical).  What makes them different is how their dna is either expressed or suppressed.