FIVE THINGS ABOUT TEST TUBE PUPPIES

1 ONE MOM BUT MANY DADS

This summer, seven mutts, weighing about a kilogram each, from six parents tumbled out of the womb of a single mother — created by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) for dogs.

2 A WORLD FIRST

The technique of fertilizing an egg in a test tube and then implanting the embryo in a woman’s womb has been used to help couples have children since the late 1970s, but scientists have struggled to do the same for canines. But researchers at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, working in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, managed to tweak the IVF procedure enough to produce the seven healthy IVF puppies — the first in the world, they say.

3 CONSERVING THE SPECIES

The dogs are a mix of beagle, Labrador and cocker spaniel. But the idea wasn’t just to create more puppies. The researchers tout the achievement as having significant implications

for wildlife conservation. “We can freeze and bank sperm to conserve the genetics of endangered species” said co-author Alex Travis, a Cornell professor of reproductive biology.

4 BOOST FOR SHOW DOGS

The method can also be employed to preserve rare breeds both of show and working dogs.

5 THE HUMAN SIDE

It’s likely to have consequences for humans. Dogs and humans share some 350 inherited diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Using IVF will allow researchers to examine how the traits that lead to those illnesses are passed down through dog — and ultimately, human — DNA.