Wooly Mammoths DNA

[Rosemary]

Discovery Channel :: News - Animals :: DNA Extracted From Woolly Mammoth Hair

[FONT=&quot]DNA Extracted From Woolly Mammoth Hair[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press[/FONT]


Sept. 27, 2007 — Attacking several tons of woolly mammoth with stone-tipped spears must have taken extraordinary courage — and ancient people left paintings to prove they did it.
Now, scientists are approaching mammoths in a different way, extracting DNA from their dense coats in an effort to learn more about them.
Mammoths are extinct, of course. No one knows if the cause was climate change, hungry Neanderthals or something else — but they left behind remains, often frozen in the tundra.


It will be interesting to hear what the scientists can find out. I don't think I would have made a very courageous warrior - that's an awful lot of woolly mammoth to confront!

 

[Talysia]

Lol, I don't think I'd have made a good warrior, either. Still, it's fascinating to see what kind of things they might be able to find out from this discovery. Thanks for posting it!

 

[j d worthington]

Most likely took a lot of cooperation and rather good planning to be successful... or one heck of a lot of luck!

Thanks for posting the story, Rosie!

 

[woodsman]

I wonder what it'd taste like though? Most likely best boiled slightly before spitroasting over an Oak fire. Hmmmm
I'd go for a pit fall trap and herding technique, once it's in, kill at your leisure or use a poison the tribe has developed an immunity to, ala The Brazilian Indians.

Wasn't there talk of cloning one using an Elephant as a surogate some while ago?

 

[Dave]

Wasn't there talk of cloning one using an Elephant as a surrogate some while ago?

I think that is still science fiction of the 'Jurassic Park' kind. (Otherwise someone would surely have done it.) I'm no expert, but to do a 'Dolly the Sheep' I think you need living cells.

I'm sure they will find a way though. Then we'll have Mammoths, Velicoraptors, Quaggas and Dodos back again.

 

[woodsman]

Something like that! I hope so I'd love to see a mamoth lumbering around.
And Dodos would make a change form chickens anyways!