Dolly the sheep: Alive and well

Short Sharp Science: Dolly the sheep: Alive and well: "Dolly the sheep is alive and well in the form of four clones - genetically identical copies - which have been living in the UK on Nottingham University land for over three years.

Keith Campbell, professor of animal development at the university, cloned the sheep from the same mammary gland tissue sample he used to clone the original Dolly 14 years ago. He announced the clones' existence at recent European Parliament debate on cloning and animal welfare.

The first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, Dolly made headlines around the world when she was born at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, UK, on 5 July 1996.

Dolly bred naturally twice, giving birth to Bonnie in April 1998 and three more lambs in 1999. She was put down at the age of six when she developed arthritis and lung disease. Her death sparked debate about the ethics of cloning.

'Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly,' Campbell told the Daily Mail."