Mammoth discovered sufficiently preserved to possibly allow cloning

Chicxulub

Chicxulub

Hand of the King
Administrator
Aug 29, 2009
11,375
7,358
1,955
40
I crash at the K-Pg
"Buttercup", a newly discovered frozen, female mammoth in Siberia, is so well preserved that she still has blood flowing in her veins from which DNA can- and is- being extracted. Since this is such a new discovery, all that can be learned from it hasn't been learned yet. However, the scientists who are working with Buttercup have been able to extract larger portions of the animal's genome than has ever been extracted from a mammoth before. They are optimistic about finding a complete genome.

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-edge-closer-being-able-clone-woolly-mammoth

I personally like the idea of this animal being cloned back to life. The Pleistocene Park project in Siberia has shown that the presence of the now-extinct Pleistocene megafauna in an ice-age tundra "mammoth steppe" biotope would in fact maintain the environment and contribute to the cooler temperatures these animals require. With Pleistocene Park having existed for thirty years now, it seems only logical that these animals would be reintroduced there. The entire purpose of the place is to recreate the unique biota of the Late Pleistocene tundra environment that was hunted clean by humanity. It seems like the ideal place to put these critters if we bring them back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene_Park

http://www.pleistocenepark.ru/en/

I feel that this is a bold opportunity for mankind to begin to help the world heal, and I hope that we do.

What are your thoughts, MFK?
 
G

golcondorus

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 22, 2006
863
4
0
40
Oregon
They say that every other year. "We're ready to clone a mammoth". Never happens


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
T

Thekid

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Sep 18, 2014
1,994
1,655
164
Land of corn
Any genetic diversity in the gene pool?
I have a hard time believing they are going to live long with all the new pathogens, viruses, etc.



Sent from my iPear
 
  • Like
Reactions: twcp
Chicxulub

Chicxulub

Hand of the King
Administrator
Aug 29, 2009
11,375
7,358
1,955
40
I crash at the K-Pg
God you guys are jaded! :ROFL:


All of the other discoveries and pronouncements basically boiled down to "...if we had more DNA we could clone...". Well, this is that discovery they've been talking about for 20 years.

EDIT- That's the same one as mine Warborg. I thought I found something new; though it does seem that the actual extraction of the DNA is a new part of this, even if the discovery isn't.
 
S

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
4,402
3,791
179
Tennessee
Chicxulub said:
"Buttercup", a newly discovered frozen, female mammoth in Siberia, is so well preserved that she still has blood flowing in her veins from which DNA can- and is- being extracted. Since this is such a new discovery, all that can be learned from it hasn't been learned yet. However, the scientists who are working with Buttercup have been able to extract larger portions of the animal's genome than has ever been extracted from a mammoth before. They are optimistic about finding a complete genome.

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-edge-closer-being-able-clone-woolly-mammoth

I personally like the idea of this animal being cloned back to life. The Pleistocene Park project in Siberia has shown that the presence of the now-extinct Pleistocene megafauna in an ice-age tundra "mammoth steppe" biotope would in fact maintain the environment and contribute to the cooler temperatures these animals require. With Pleistocene Park having existed for thirty years now, it seems only logical that these animals would be reintroduced there. The entire purpose of the place is to recreate the unique biota of the Late Pleistocene tundra environment that was hunted clean by humanity. It seems like the ideal place to put these critters if we bring them back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene_Park

http://www.pleistocenepark.ru/en/

I feel that this is a bold opportunity for mankind to begin to help the world heal, and I hope that we do.

What are your thoughts, MFK?
Click to expand...
Hello; Just curious, can you expand a bit about how restoring an extinct species might help the world to heal?
 
Chicxulub

Chicxulub

Hand of the King
Administrator
Aug 29, 2009
11,375
7,358
1,955
40
I crash at the K-Pg
skjl47 said:
Hello; Just curious, can you expand a bit about how restoring an extinct species might help the world to heal?
Click to expand...
How could it not? :)

Human expansion has already wiped put roughly 90% of all the megafauna of this planet, to include an almost complete obliteration of the megafauna of the Americas. Our exodus from Africa is directly responsible for the end-Pleistocene extinction event.

A primary example of how the ecosystems of the worlds could be benefitted by rebuilding an ecosystem is the American Southwest.

In the American Southwest at the end of the Pleistocene, there was a thriving ecosystem that was strongly analogous to that which we see in Africa. There were saber tooth cats, lions, jaguars, three species of probiscids (elephants), multiple camels, all sorts of bovids and a myriad of lesser beasts.

What's left of the American Southeast megafauna? Condors. We spend millions every year to attempt to provide habitat for these birds. The only reason they missed the end-Pleistocene extinction was first feeding on the animals slaughters by humans and later on the cetaceans that occasionally was up on the California shore. Before the end-Pleistocene event, when the American megafauna thrived, these birds could be found as far east as the Atlantic seaboard.

Now here we are, spending millions a year to artificially keep these animals from going extinct. It strikes me as logical to use the preserves already in place and the funds already allocated to restore the habitat. First, bring back camels and bovids. Once they're established, reintroduce lions and jaguars. After a few decades, the problem of feeding the condors slaughtered beef cattle would resolve itself because the niche for which the condor is adapted is once again available to it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store
Top Bottom