SAN DIEGO, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- An artificially inseminated penguin recently gave birth to the world's first test tube penguin. Biologists at SeaWorld's Reproductive Research Center are the first to develop and successfully employ an artificial insemination technique using frozen-then-thawed semen.
The test tube penguin, known simply as 184 -- too many penguins are born inside SeaWorld for them to be given names -- is only 12 weeks old and a miracle of modern animal science. Number 184 is a Magellanic penguin, a species native to South America. Number 184's wild brothers and sisters live and breed in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands.
"We keep these vials of semen here," Justine O'Brien, researcher at the center, told local CNN affiliate KFMB -- speaking of her and her colleague's latest technique. "The semen is drawn up this catheter into the syringe. All we're doing is helping the sperm get further along into that position for fertilization."
Scientists say the technique could be employed to help prolong endangered species -- saving dwindling lineages from extinction.
