Mammoth Task: Plan To Clone Ice Age Beast

The woolly mammoth has not roamed the earth for over 10,000 years, rumored sightings in Siberia aside, but scientists in Russia and South Korea are hoping to change that after agreeing to collaborate on a project to clone the extinct Ice Age beast.

A research deal was signed Tuesday between North-Eastern Federal University of the Sakha Republic in Russia and South Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Agence France-Press reported.

The scientists will attempt to clone cells from woolly mammoth remains uncovered in the Siberian tundra.

"The first and hardest mission is to restore mammoth cells," Sooam researcher Hwang In-Sung told AFP. This is particularly difficult because the mammoth tissue has to be very-well preserved for the cells to contain undamaged genes, which can then be cloned.

The scientists plan to replace the nuclei of an Indian elephant egg with cells containing mammoth DNA, which will then be placed in the elephant's womb for gestation and birth.

The particular cells that will be extracted are called somatic cells, which are responsible for the development of internal organs, skin, bones and blood.

"This will be a really tough job, but we believe it is possible because our institute is good at cloning animals," Hwang In-Sung told AFP.

Sooam has had prior success using the cloning technique with dogs. In 2005, Sooam researcher Hwang Woo-Suk successfully cloned the first dog. While Hwang's dog cloning was verified, it was later discovered that he fabricated data while conducting researching on cloning human stem cells. He subsequently resigned from his post at Sooma.

Source:

Woolly Mammoth Clone: Can Russian, South Korean Scientists Resurrect Extinct Ice Age Beast? - International Business Times

Source to a shorter article:

Woolly Mammoth Clone: Scientists Agree To Work Together To Re-Create Ice Age Beast | World News | Sky News

In other Mammoth news:

@Kilgore Trout

Will any of these mammoths allowed to live in the wild? Or will they all be held captive?

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

Originally Posted by RobynC

@Kilgore Trout

Will any of these mammoths allowed to live in the wild? Or will they all be held captive?

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

I think, if a mammoth is successfully cloned (maybe in 4-5 years, but even then, the success rate has been 1-5%), it will probably be held in captivity. Needless to say, there are a lot of problems that can arise in the cloning process and if such an animal is to survive under certain human-controlled conditions.

Anyway, here's the brief steps of how the Japanese/Russian scientists want to do this:



Source for picture:

Mammoth 'could be reborn in four years' - Telegraph

@Kilgore Trout

What's the point if it will be held in captivity?

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

Originally Posted by RobynC

@Kilgore Trout

Will any of these mammoths allowed to live in the wild? Or will they all be held captive?

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

Reintroducing into the wild doesn't seem like the best idea...

btw, at this point i'm pretty sure everyone has read your sig. lols.

@Eerie

Well, my signature is sort of tradition isn't it? :laughs:

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

Originally Posted by RobynC

@Eerie

Well, my signature is sort of tradition isn't it? :laughs:

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

The sig itself, no. The constant reminder to read it? yes. Don't you ever get sick of typing it over and over? You should just include that part IN your sig. Would save time. :P

@Eerie

Don't you ever get sick of typing it over and over?

I just cut and paste it -- takes five seconds.

You should just include that part IN your sig.

I have thought of that but the sig is too far down on the bottom -- it just feels better up a bit.

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

Originally Posted by RobynC

@Eerie



I just cut and paste it -- takes five seconds.

R.C.
Remember to seriously read my signature down below and be sure you understand what I mean by it...

I'm watching x-files, sometimes it reminds me of you. That's not an insult btw.

Originally Posted by RobynC

@Kilgore Trout

What's the point if it will be held in captivity?

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.”