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How To Clone A Mammoth

Posted by timothy on from the time-to-buy-a-new-bench dept.

psyconaut writes: "In a story that sounds more fitting for the big screen than the London Times, Japanese researchers are planning on cloning a mammoth by impregnating an Indian elephant. Apparently the source of the DNA will be a newly found mammoth specimen in Siberia. Due to genetic constraints, the final mammoth specimen will only be 88% pure mammoth and the process will take about 50 years."

3 of 303 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why? by Mwongozi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Why not?" is a much more interesting question than "Why?". It's how science advances.

  2. Re:Why? by rtblmyazz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not bring back a species that was extinct due to the actions of mankind like the Dodo bird, rather than something that nature or God extincted, probably for some "valid" reason ? It seems more fitting to bring something back that we destroyed by our own ignorance or greed.

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  3. Because. by RobinH · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not bring back a species that was extinct due to the actions of mankind like the Dodo bird, rather than something that nature or God extincted, probably for some "valid" reason?

    I believe the current thinking is that mammoths were hunted to extinction by men. Mammoths and sabretooth tigers became extinct about 12,000 years ago in North America, which coincides nicely with the arrival of humans on the continent. Hence, by your argument, we should bring them back.

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