Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years

[FreakinDJ]

Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years

by Shingo Ito

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years time.

The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

"Preparations to realise this goal have been made," Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University, told the mass-circulation daily.

Under the plan, the nuclei of mammoth cells will be inserted into an elephant's egg cell from which the nuclei have been removed, to create an embryo containing mammoth genes, the report said.

[Zephie]

1. I was thinking about something similar not even five minutes ago

wondering what the first ancient animal to be "reborn" would be. I guess I know now!

[DaveinJapan]

38. I always figured it'd be the Dodo. nt

[Fumesucker]

39. Oh yes, The Ugly Chickens..

http://www.lexal.net/scifi/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/waldrop/waldrop1.html

[Kalyke]

49. It was reborn and served as the pResident of the United States

for eight years!

:D

[Richard D]

2. Mammoth sashimi?

[davidinalameda]

3. what a waste of money

I'm sure millions will be spent to resurrect a dead species

why not spend the money to help preserve the species that are endangered now

[Exultant Democracy]

14. There is no way to know what they will find out as they proceed. Knowledge isn't a straight line

often times amazing discoveries are made while pursuing something completely different.

[Statistical]

23. Research is never a waste.

It expands the sum of human knowledge. The techniques, processes, and even failures may aid related research in genetic, cloning, and other sciences in the future.

[Maine-ah]

4. real life Jurassic park.

:scared:

[HopeHoops]

5. Shit - you'd think they'd do a T-Rex instead so they could have something REAL to destroy Tokyo.

Think about how much they would save in special effects on the next movie!

[Ezlivin]

6. When can we start hunting them from helicopters?

I hear it's all the rage in Alaska....

[DUgosh]

7. Haven't they seen the old movies?

This never ends well.

[X_Digger]

46. You think they say "Here, hold my sake! Watch this!"?? n/t

[WinkyDink]

8. Completely insane.

[no limit]

17. Why?

[WinkyDink]

25. Oh, I don't know. Like---the environment is completely different. Like--we should strive to keep the

animals we have (perhaps the JAPANESE can cease their whaling?).
Like--the WM might not be immune to today's viruses. Like--the food base for the WM might also be extinct.

Is this just an experiment in order to EAT THEM? To put them in ZOOS?

[no limit]

28. It's an experiment to see what we can learn about them

I don't think any one suggested that they will be unleashed in to the wild. So I don't see why you would have a problem with this.

And I never liked the argument that we shouldn't study certain science because there are more important issues in the world. We can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.

[Exilednight]

52. Yep, we can walk and chew bubble gum. We just can't do it without

tripping over the crack in the sidewalk.

[Codeine]

24. Why do you say that?

I think it's a fascinating way to stretch our genetic and cloning know-how.

[WinkyDink]

26. Not a fan of cloning. Not a fan of resurrecting the dead. You see where I'm going with this?

[FreakinDJ]

30. in No-Time at all they'll be wanting to clone Reagan

chanting "Bring Back the Gipper"

[HughBeaumont]

51. Reagan never LEFT.

Alzheimers took the body. It's his insane, mean bastard policies that are currently stenching up the minds of both parties.

[slackmaster]

9. History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men

That said, I hope it works!

[Bigmack]

10. Holy shit...next they'll try to clone Reagan.... nt

[BlueIris]

11. Bring it! Next up, T-Rex! nt.

[KittyWampus]

12. THE DANCING BANANA SMILIE!!!!

[NYC_SKP]

15. Awesome, Isn't It?

Me like. Me want.



:P

[SoCalDem]

32. Here's a dancing monkey for you too

borrow any you like from my collection
http://socaldem.smugmug.com/Other/SMILIES/1214313_VHAoQ#56880612_GKGyf

[NYC_SKP]

35. Oh, sweet! Thank you, SoCalDem!!!

:hug:

:P

[MattBaggins]

13. Mehhhhh, DNA will be too damaged.

[loudsue]

16. Hell: the planet is already starting to crawl with knuckle-draggers

This would only be right.

[Lint Head]

18. This would give Limpballs the knuckle dragger a pet.

[d_r]

19. mixed feelings

on the one hand, we don't have enough wilderness left for modern elephants. And Asian elephants that were used in the timber industry are out of work. Elephants are smart, what is doing to the mother elephant to implant this embryo, physically and emotionally?

On the other hand, it would be cool to see and my kids would love it. Moreover, if global climate change results in a new ice age, we could use some mammoths. And if humans were the cause of the species to go extinct, then it would be nice of us to bring them back.

So I'm torn.

[Jim Lane]

37. I don't think it would be a problem for the surrogate mother

This procedure has been done before, with an endangered species, the gaur. A domestic cow carried a gaur embryo to term, although the baby (well, the 80-pound baby) lived only two days before dying of dysentery, unrelated to the cloning. http://www.advancedcell.com/press-release/advanced-cell-technology-inc-announced-that-the-first-cloned-endangered-animal-was-born-at-730-pm-on-monday-january-8-2001|Press release here>

I remember reading at the time that the mother was very motherly. She completely accepted the baby as her own, even though, as one writer commented, he didn't look like the other kids. My guess is that there would be no physical or emotional trauma to the elephant involved.

[d_r]

48. yeah but I'm thinking

that mammoth new borns are quite a bit bigger than asian elephant newborns...I'm not sure about it though.

[Zax2me]

20. cool!

Maybe the technology learned can assist with preventing extinction for animals that are threatened today.

[SoCalDem]

21. LEAVE RONALD REAGAN ALONE

:)

LET HIM REST IN PEACE:)

[unblock]

22. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo. I can't wait to get my paws on that mammoth!

Zeke: Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo. I can't wait to get my paws on that mammoth!
Soto: Nobody touches the mammoth until I get that baby.
Zeke: First I will slice its hindquarters in sections. I'll put the white meat on one pile, and the dark meat on another.
Lenny: Hey, knock it off. I'm starving.
Zeke: Next, the shoulders. Occasionally tough, but extreeeeemely juicy.
Lenny: I told you to knock it off!

[Lucian]

27. Link?

I'm not going to make a knee jerk reaction until I see the source of this info.

[FreakinDJ]

29. sorry - here it is

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110117/wl_asia_afp/japansciencemammoth

[NuclearDem]

31. Lemme edit that quote:

"I own an island, off the coast of Costa Rica..." Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University, told the mass-circulation daily. "Really spectacular, spared no expense."

[InvisibleTouch]

33. They've been working on this for decades. Happy that they are getting close!!

I'm excited that it seems to be getting close to a result, finally. I would LOVE to see this.

On the other hand, those resources might be better used to save the existing species who are on the brink of disappearing, but the paleo-geek in me really wants to see an Ice Age species come back to life. We really should be able to do both. What's needed is a passion and love for the natural world, for all species. And what they learn from resurrecting the mammoth might be applied to saving today's endangered species also.

Then again, they *have* been working on this for decades, and I've been waiting all this time. Who knows if they will pull it off, finally? Maybe it's too soon to celebrate.

[derby378]

34. What about a mammoth that sounds like Ray Romano?

"You're an embarrassment to Nature! Did you know that?" :rofl:

[FLPanhandle]

36. That is so cool.

Its been discussed as possible for a long time. Glad to see them make the attempt.

[Canuckistanian]

40. And I, for one welcome our new Mammoth Overlords

Um, I meant PACHYDERM, PACHYDERM Overlords.

Whew.

[DaveinJapan]

41. I'm not understanding the hostility, particularly as it pertains to endangered species of today...

Why is it so different from, say, discovering a small herd of mammoths on a remote island somewhere? Would you same folks not be first in line to fight to preserve them?

If the tiger or the humpback whale were to go extinct, would you just shrug your shoulders and give up on them if we had the scientific means to bring them back?

And beyond that issue, don't you see the value in actually examining a member of an extinct species in order to learn more about WHY it might have died out and what we can do to prevent it in the endangered populations of today?

This seems like a positive thing to me, I'm not getting the negativity on this one.

[FLPanhandle]

42. Too many popular movies; not enough science.

[Odin2005]

43. Lot of posters that are ardent technophobes.

Probably the same people that hate NASA because they think humans have no right to colonize other words because we are evil.

[NuclearDem]

45. Condors. Condors are on the verge of extinction.

If I were to create a flock of Condors on this island, you wouldn't have anything to say.

[Odin2005]

44. Awesome. We hunted them into extinction, I don't see the problem bringing them back.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

47. THIS KIS WAY TOO COOL!

We also have good genetic samples from other arctic beasts like the woolly rhino, and a giant lion, and a few other things. MEGA FAUNA. I would travel great distances to see this.

[Stevenmarc]

50. Then they'll breed them down to a trendy teacup mammoth that will fit in a Murakami Vuitton

[mdmc]

53. ..