Clones "could feel individuality"

Recent research on identical twins suggests that cloned people could perceive themselves as individuals, and their genes would have a limited influence on identity. In interviews with the twins, scientists discovered that factors such as upbringing and shared experiences play a key role in shaping individuality. Experts emphasize that the debate over cloning should focus on the social aspects of this technology, not just genetic uniformity. The study, soon to be published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine, sheds new light on the complexities of identity in the context of cloning.

A cloned human would likely perceive itself as an individual, the study suggests. The researchers reached their conclusions after interviewing identical twins about their experiences interacting with someone with the same genotype.

The team concluded that the twins believed their genes played a limited role in shaping their identities.

The British-Australian study will soon be published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine.

His co-author, Dr Barbara Prainsack from the University of Vienna in Austria, who worked with Professor Tim Spector from the Twins Research Unit in London, said: "The birth of Dolly the sheep raised many questions about what it would be like to be a clone."

"We don't have clones to talk to, but we do have identical twins."

Identical twins are formed when a single egg, fertilized by sperm, divides into two genetically identical embryos.

Researchers concluded that twin clones would share the same genes, and so presented the only existing method for studying the emotions a clone might experience.

However, they also emphasized that twins would be different from clones because they are born simultaneously, while the clone would be younger.