Scientists have completed the sequencing of DNA taken from the frozen hairy corpse of a Woolly Mammoth. Once the modern elephant's DNA is sequenced for comparison so the extinct mammal's DNA can be culled of all external fragments (fungi/bacteria interwoven with the hair) it could be possible to resurrect the old beasts.
Firstly, why did scientist work on sequencing an extinct species DNA when they had not yet dealt with a threatened species like the elephant? It seems like these people are more like showmen than scientists. Clearly they picked the woolly mammoth because it would get more attention.
Secondly, How long after they start to bring back these species for research purposes will it lead to some sort of zoo. And, more to the point, how long after these zoos open will you be able to buy a woolly steak or a saber tooth stir-fry?
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5 comments:
i must say, im disappointed in you.
these studies require grant money... what is more likely to get grant money: im going to save the elephants, or im going to bring back the mammoth - the wooly one?
Doesn't mean it is not showmanship. I mean I sympathise with the scientists that have to jump threw these hoops.
Because the DNA necessary to map an elephant isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Even if the elepahnt did go extinct tomorrow there would be any number of ways to get elephant DNA.
And, I'm sure the process involved with sequencing a dead species versus a current one are quite different. As such looking into one of the more recently extinct animals will hopefully lead to a better understanding of how to bring back more and more animals of the distant past.
What disturbs me about the process is that there is discussion about actually taking the DNA sequences and attempting to recreate the mammoth, perhaps in the womb of an elephant... but what about the impact of bringing back an extinct species into our current world? For instance, would it have the antibiotic resistances it needs to survive in our climate, against our bacteria? And what about the probiotics it needs to survive? Are we certain we can just substitute modern elephantine ones and poof, everything is fine? And that's just the arguments that ask if this is really beneficial to the creature... what about the mammoth's impact on us, or on elephants?
Just because a thing CAN be done does not mean it should necessarily be done.
This is so Jurassic park. I bet there will soon a park where we can ride a Wooly Mammath in Canada just in time for global warming spell. We'll need another large mammal to contribute greenhouse gasses. What's next DNA sequence buffalo to assage our guilt?
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