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Community => Recreation Commons => Our researchers have made a breakthrough! => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on November 18, 2014, 08:39:39 PM

Title: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Buster's Uncle on November 18, 2014, 08:39:39 PM

Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
The Week
Meghan DeMaria     3:01pm ET
 

(https://7e8c.https.cdn.softlayer.net/807E8C/origin.theweek.com/img/speedreads/272221.jpg?209)
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Scientists found a 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth, nicknamed "Buttercup," in Siberia last year, and they're on their way to cloning its DNA.

The female Buttercup lived for roughly 50 years and was eight feet tall. The scientists believe it was eaten by predators.

The scientists took blood from the mammoth's carcass, and SOOAM, a South Korean biotech company, is testing the blood for DNA. If the blood doesn't have a complete DNA set to clone the mammoth, the scientists may be able to use an existing elephant genome and add mammoth traits, such as tusks and hair.

If the scientists are able to clone the woolly mammoth, they could bring the animal back from extinction. But as Quartz notes, the cloning process does have "ethical baggage" — a female elephant would have to serve as the mammoth's surrogate, and the process could kill multiple elephants until the experiment is successful.


http://theweek.com/article/index/272221/speedreads-scientists-are-trying-to-bring-back-the-woolly-mammoth (http://theweek.com/article/index/272221/speedreads-scientists-are-trying-to-bring-back-the-woolly-mammoth)

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Geo on November 18, 2014, 09:42:20 PM

A member of a species living in the tropics must give birth to the clone of a species which used to live in arctic conditions? :-\

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Buster's Uncle on November 18, 2014, 09:44:00 PM

You can think of a better mother for a mammoth?

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Geo on November 18, 2014, 09:49:25 PM

I can think of NO mother of a mammoth calf. Unless there are freakin' huge female elephants somewhere in the world, I'd be surprised if one could bring a mammoth baby to term and survive the experience.

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Buster's Uncle on November 18, 2014, 09:53:07 PM

By the time they're at that point, the womb-size problem may well be trivial by comparison.

Also, isn't it cool?  I mean, I'd love to see a mammoth - I bet they smell even worse.

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Geo on November 18, 2014, 10:01:40 PM

Quote from: BUncle on November 18, 2014, 09:53:07 PM

Also, isn't it cool?  I mean, I'd love to see a mammoth - I bet they smell even worse.

Cool or not, there's barely a habitat left for the species.

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: gwillybj on November 18, 2014, 10:53:41 PM

Quote from: BUncle on November 18, 2014, 09:53:07 PM

Also, isn't it cool?  I mean, I'd love to see a mammoth - I bet they smell even worse.

I wonder how they would taste ;chef;
edit: I think I need a bigger pot!

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Rusty Edge on November 19, 2014, 05:55:14 AM

Seems to me they were pretty darn close.

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants (http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants)

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Geo on November 19, 2014, 04:15:16 PM

Quote from: Rusty Edge on November 19, 2014, 05:55:14 AM

Seems to me they were pretty darn close.

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants (http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants)

Thought they were larger then today's elephants. My argument is void then.

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Rusty Edge on November 19, 2014, 05:58:40 PM

Quote from: Geo on November 19, 2014, 04:15:16 PM

Quote from: Rusty Edge on November 19, 2014, 05:55:14 AM

Seems to me they were pretty darn close.

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants (http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88823/Mastodons-were-smaller-than-mammoths-and-modern-elephants)

Thought they were larger then today's elephants. My argument is void then.

I did, too, when one of these was defrosted a couple of years ago. I didn't have comparative pictures then, but when I researched it it left me with the impression that Mastadons were similar in height and weight to Indian elephants, and Mammoths to Africans elephants.

As for habitat, I'm sure there are places in Russia and Canada that have the room and would love the sightseeing revenue.

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Geo on November 19, 2014, 08:39:22 PM

"Daddy, look! A yeti elephant!" :P

Title: Re: Scientists are trying to bring back the woolly mammoth
Post by: Buster's Uncle on November 19, 2014, 08:43:27 PM

It's hairier than Geo's girlfriend!