Mammoth Task: Plan To Clone Ice Age Beast

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

In the older article I posted (from 2011), Akira Iritani of Kyoto University, talks about what the research team will do with the mammoth, if the process is successful.

“If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed [the mammoth] and whether to display it to the public. After the mammoth is born, we’ll examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors.”

I hope they do, I would gladly fly halfway across the earth just to see one with my own eyes.

Reviving the species and returning it to the wild would be a good thing. We hunted them to extinction, it's only right that we bring them back. It would be good for the ecosystems of the boreal forest regions, as well.

Isn't McDonalds funding it for their next burger....the McMammoth with cheese? I could swear I heard something about Woolly Nuggets as well.

Originally Posted by TaylorS

Reviving the species and returning it to the wild would be a good thing. We hunted them to extinction, it's only right that we bring them back. It would be good for the ecosystems of the boreal forest regions, as well.

what do you mean we. homo sapiens did yes, but that was 10,000 years before us. it's not our responsibility to undo all the mistakes of our ancestors (if one considers them "mistakes"). you are responsible for your own actions and those of any children you have under age 18, but no one else.

that said, I'm pro mammoth cloning. it sounds fascinating!

Returning it into the wild could have drastic negative consequences on entire ecosystems. Current ecosystems are not adapted to support Mammoths and reintroducing them ad-hoc could cause many other species to go extinct. I really hope people who were suggesting that were kidding!

I presume they are just cloning it to see if they can, and from there performing tests to see how viable and fertile it is. I imagine it would have the mitochondrial DNA and cytoplasmic make-up of an elephant or whatever else they use as a surrogate so I wonder if it will even survive.

Introducing the first Mammoth into the wild where it can be poached is too dangerous. Perhaps later, once they've got the population up, but the scientists would need to consider whether it would be good or bad for the environment. 10,000 years is not that long ago evolutionary, so my guess is that it would be a good idea.

Originally Posted by 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34

Introducing the first Mammoth into the wild where it can be poached is too dangerous.

They could easily create a controlled area within Canada's Arctic Circle. There are several hundred islands, any one of them could become a heavily guarded zone that would not only provide protection for the animal, but also the freedom to move around at will.

Won't it be half mammoth, half elephant?

Originally Posted by Obsidean

Won't it be half mammoth, half elephant?

No. Cytoplasmic content has little bearing on the resulting species compared to DNA. They will enucleate the Elephant egg cell (removing all elephant nuclear DNA) and implant a full set of Mammoth nuclear DNA, emulating a fertilized Mammoth egg cell. It will have 100% Mammoth nuclear DNA (0% elephant), so for all intents and purposes it will be a Mammoth.

Although it will have Elephant mitochondrial DNA.. so that could cause some viability issues.

I don't think that's the reason they're doing this, I thinks it's more about showcasing the advancements made in the field. If we can successfully clone an animal that's been extinct for thousands of years then why not start a world wide DNA bank for every species?