14 DAY TRIAL // A rare bird has recently hatched from an egg that belonged not to its species, but to a run-off-the-mill chicken. The bird appears to be in good health, and doesn't seem in the least affected by the fact that it formed in a foreign environment.
This somewhat peculiar experiment was carried out by scientists at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai.
It was intended to help researchers determine whether or not bird species that are now in danger of going extinct might be rescued by having their offspring develop in and hatch from eggs belonging to other species, Tree Hugger reports.
As part of this experiment, said researchers created a houbara bustard embryo, and transferred it inside a chicken egg whose yellow had been previously removed, but whose white had been left in its place.
Despite the fact that it got its nutrients from egg white produced by a bird species different than its own, the houbara bustard embryo grew and hatched normally.
Seeing how houbara bustards, which are indigenous to the Middle East, are currently considered a threatened species, conservationists were quick to celebrate the success of this experiment.
The researchers say that, from their standpoint, the success of this experiment proves that chicken eggs can serve as surrogates for embryos belonging to other species.
The scientists working on this project say that, for the time being at least, this embryonic transfer technique is not entirely fault-proof.
However, they are eager to work on refining it and hope that it will not be long until it becomes a viable option for conservationists looking to safeguard the world's bird population.
Interestingly enough, the scientists expect that, at some point in the future, the embryonic transfer technique they are now looking to perfect will make it possible for researchers to revive extinct species.
Thus, existing genetic material could be used to engineer an embryo, which would then be placed inside a surrogate egg and allowed to develop into a bird.