Return of the Woolly Mammoth due 'within five years'

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...row-years.html

Woolly mammoth to be brought back to life from cloned bone marrow 'within five years'

- Thigh bone discovered in permafrost soil of Siberia
- Contains elusive undamaged genes essential for nucleus transplantation
- Nuclei of elephant's egg cells will be replaced with mammoth's marrow DNA
- Embryo will then be planted into elephant womb for gestation

Scientists believe it may be possible to clone a woolly mammoth within five years after finding well-preserved bone marrow in a thigh bone recovered from permafrost soil in Siberia. Teams from Russia's Sakha Republic's mammoth museum and Japan's Kinki University will launch fully-fledged joint research next year aiming to recreate the giant mammal, Japan's Kyodo News reported from Yakutsk, Russia. By replacing the nuclei of egg cells from an elephant with those taken from the mammoth's marrow cells, embryos with mammoth DNA can be produced, Kyodo said, citing the researchers.

The scientists will then plant the embryos into elephant wombs for delivery as the two species are close relatives, the report said. Securing nuclei with an undamaged gene is essential for the nucleus transplantation technique, it said. For scientists involved in the research since the late 1990s, finding nuclei with undamaged mammoth genes has been a challenge. Mammoths became extinct about 10,000 years ago. But the discovery in August in Siberia has increased the chances of a successful cloning.

Not quite sure what to make of it really, most of the 'corrections' we humans do to nature usually make the problem we created even worse (for example when we decide to return woodland to its 'original habitat' and end up destroying one habitat for another which takes decades to correct itself, if it ever does). Interesting though, I wonder if re-introduction of the Mammoth into Siberia would pose any threats to wildlife already there? if not, then perhaps its an idea. But then again, nature always always suprises us.

Thoughts? bring back the Mammoth or not?

[Inseriousity.]

No it's extinct. I'm sure we'd all love to bring back people we've lost but we can't do that and god forbid the consequences if there was the technology available to do so. Don't see why that can't be extended to animals as well.

[FlyingJesus]

omg Jurassic Park. Very interesting stuff but I can't honestly see that we'll benefit from having them around... unless they're going to be massively farmable for a good range of products on the cheap

[Chippiewill]

omg Jurassic Park.

This was my first thought, well rather the epic theme tune to Jurassic Park.

I believe Mammoths should be brought back at first just in captivity until a suitable habitat can be decided so that ecological risks can be minimised.

[sophiethenerd]

Scary mammoths in the wild
No thanks

[Accipiter]

The Elephant mother of the mammoth will think it's hard a were-ellie

I don't see the harm, this creature died out due to humanities abuse, not from any other natural abuse, fair enough if it died from being attacked by sabertooths, but it didn't it was attacked by us.

Siberia is a bitter land, and it will possibly offer lively hood to the little natives who live there if these animals where reintroduced and boomed quickly, and it would be a fantastic, if not quite supernatural, religious groups will no doubt hate with all this spouted "We are messing with the powers of god" bull ****.

[Oleh]

Mammoth skin coat anyone? Mammoth skin rug?

Should be good to see how volatile they are.

[Chippiewill]

Mammoth skin coat anyone? Mammoth skin rug?

Should be good to see how volatile they are.

Not for at least fifty years, they'd need to get population numbers WAAAY up before they did something like that. Would be very cool/chic though.

[Accipiter]

We just need to genetically **** something up and create dragons and then we have skyrim if the world goes all post-apocalyptic

[Ajthedragon]

They went extinct for a reason.

I'm against it. They'll ruin a food web somehow.