However, there is some debate about whether her early death was related to the fact that she was a clone.
Here's what we know:
* Dolly was a clone, meaning she was created from the DNA of an adult sheep. This process can lead to shorter telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), which are associated with aging.
* Dolly developed premature arthritis, which is a common condition in older sheep, but was unusual at her age.
* Dolly also had an infection with a common sheep retrovirus (Jaagsiekte). This virus can cause lung cancer, which contributed to her death.
It is difficult to definitively say whether Dolly's early death was directly caused by her being a clone. While some researchers believe that cloning might have contributed to her premature aging and arthritis, others argue that the other factors, particularly the lung infection, were likely the main causes.
Ultimately, Dolly's death highlighted the complexities of cloning and its potential effects on the health of animals.