Mammoth Cloning

What do you all think: if ‘viable’ DNA can be obtained from the mammoth carcass found by Russian researchers earlier this month, should it be used to try and clone a live mammoth?

For those of you who don’t know, earlier this month Russian researcher reported the discovery of an extremely well preserved mammoth carcass lying under ice and tundra. In fact, it was so well preserved that blood was also found in the ice.

Since there are evidently no living cells still to be found within the carcass, researchers are hoping to be able to find a cell with ‘viable’ DNA, meaning DNA that is still intact and that has not degenerated or fragmented.

I think we can all agree that being able to sequence the whole mammoth genome would be amazing, as there is so much that could be studied about genetic mutations that have since occurred. However, I think the ethics of trying to clone a live mammoth (should it be possible) is a discussion that much needs to occur.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35829/title/Mammoth-Blood-Gives-Hope-for-Cloning-/

 

I am totally for recreating life that was once on this planet. Not only will this help with advances in DNA and genetics in general it could also give us many answers of life that previously existed on our planet.

It's pretty cool stuff, I'm hoping they find a well preserved reptilian dinosaur in the future.

 

It just depends on how well they regulate everything. Don't want any Jurassic park stuff happening

 

Part of me would love to see this happen for the answers it could provide. However, I would be concerned over how the creature would be treated. It wouldn't be able to reproduce or anything and would basically live its life in a lab. How would we know how to take care of such a thing when most of our knowledge of these creatures is theoretical?

 

Related:

Siberian mammoth goes on display in Japan

This 39,000 year old baby female, named Yuki, was found with blood still in her veins, frozen in the permafrost on a Siberian island. It is the first successful extraction of blood from an extinct animal. A team of Russian and Japanese scientists is hoping to clone one sometime in the future.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/rare-39-000-year-old-woolly-mammoth-display-japan-article-1.1395453