Reviving the Woolly Mammoth: Will De-Extinction Become Reality?

Yahoo News | Live Science ^ | 3/15/13 | Megan Gannon

[LibWhacker]

Biologists briefly brought the extinct Pyrenean ibex back to life in 2003 by creating a clone from a frozen tissue sample harvested before the goat's entire population vanished in 2000. The clone survived just seven minutes after birth, but it gave scientists hope that "de-extinction," once a pipedream, could become a reality.

Ten years later, a group of researchers and conservationists gathered in Washington, D.C., today (March 15) for a forum called TEDxDeExtinction, hosted by the National Geographic Society, to talk about how to revive extinct animals, from the Tasmanian tiger and the saber-toothed tiger to the woolly mammoth and the North American passenger pigeon.

Though scientists don't expect a real-life "Jurassic Park" will ever be on the horizon, a species that died a few tens of thousands of years ago could be resurrected as long as it has enough intact ancient DNA.

Some have their hopes set on the woolly mammoth, a relative of modern elephants that went extinct 3,000 to 10,000 years ago and left behind some extraordinarily well preserved carcasses in Siberian permafrost. Scientists in Russia and South Korea have embarked on an ambitious project to try to create a living specimen using the DNA-storing nucleus of a mammoth cell and an Asian elephant egg — a challenging prospect, as no one has ever been able to harvest eggs from an elephant.

[wildbill]

I’m feeling really smug since for years I’ve been predicting this de-extinction movement would become operative.

Maybe this is why Homeland Security is buying millions of rounds of ammo? Defending against mammoths makes about as much sense as buying up 100 years worth of practice rounds.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

If it’s wrong for man to force a species into extinction isn’t it just as wrong to bring one back?

[headsonpikes]

They need to create a breeding herd, so’s I can get me some of that mammoth steak at the Fish & Game Banquet!

My inner Fred Flintstone will be happy...Yabba dabba doo!!!

[Forward the Light Brigade]

I would like to bring back the passenger pigeon—They have the last one from 1923 frozen—They were killed because they tasted good. I say bring em back, farm them and sell them to better restaurants! We could make millions! Neanderthals could be brought back too—They would make great football players! No need for steroids-—They might make great soldiers too. The Dodo bird might also be good—they were said to taste great. They were too stupid to survive and were killed off. This science could really make some money!

[Michael.SF.]

Here are some pics from the site:

The mythical Aurochs is not a myth at all, actually. It is the ancestor of domestic cattle and lived throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They died off in 1627.

2. The Dodo is known for being really dumb — but really it was just fearless because it evolved without any natural predators.

6. The Mastodon is an extinct species related to elephants that lived in North and Central America.

9. The legendary Helanadon survived in the eastern regions of the USA for hundreds of years. This beast was well respected in small circles of primarily disreputable denizens of low intelligence.

You knew it was coming.