What Was the 1970 Monkey Head Transplant?
In 1970, a surgical team transplanted the head of one rhesus monkey onto the body of another. The procedure aimed to study whether a living organism could sustain a transplanted head and whether nerve connections could be restored.
Who Performed the Surgery and What Happened?
Neurosurgeon Robert J. White led the operation at Case Western Reserve University. The monkey survived for a short period after surgery, but the spinal cord was not reconnected, so the animal remained paralyzed below the neck.
Why Is This Experiment Still Referenced?
The case is cited in discussions of head transplant feasibility, spinal cord injury, and the history of transplant surgery. It is often mentioned alongside later research into head and body alignment, as documented by medical history sources here.
