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DNA of Woolly Mammoth Fully Sequenced

jd writes "Scientists have decoded the mitochondrial DNA of the Woolly Mammoth. According to the article: 'the Mammoth was most closely related to the Asian elephant rather than the African Elephant. The three groups split from a common ancestor about six million years ago, with Asian elephants and mammoths diverging about half a million years later.' This work is tied into efforts by researchers to use DNA to analyze other extinct species, such as the cave bear, the Haast eagle and the American lion. The novel aspect of this latest work is that it involved stitching together almost 50 fragments of mtDNA in order to obtain the sequence as a whole."

19 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Great... by }InFuZeD{ · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's always good to know that humans are second to mammoths in genetic research :)

  2. Mammoths evolve? wait a sec... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny


    DNA? Evolution? Never happened! Mammoths were on the Ark with Noah!

    ---

    For the ID kooks out there who are probably speaking in tongues and convulsing on the floor after today's spanking in court I offer an interesting letter to the editor.

    Some don't need vaccine

    Recent news about the avian flu virus has raised concerns from main street to the White House. There is the possibility, even likelihood, that the virus will mutate into a form that can more easily infect humans.

    As the president pointed out, a vaccine cannot be made until this evolution occurs.

    This raises the concern that it may be impossible to create enough vaccine fast enough to protect all our citizens. But there is hope.

    Gallup polls tell us that up to 45 percent of Americans don't believe in evolution. Since random mutation is the engine of evolution, these same people must believe that the virus cannot mutate.

    Therefore, there is no need to waste vaccine on folks who believe there is no possible threat to themselves -- thus leaving a sufficient supply for the rest of us. Perhaps the president, given his doubts about evolution, may wish to demonstrate his leadership by foregoing vaccination.

    This approach has added benefits. Polls also tell us that disbelief in evolution is more pronounced among the less educated, the poor and conservatives. If the anti-evolutionists among these groups were to opt out of vaccination then, through immediate deaths and natural selection, we would reduce poverty, raise educational attainment and become a more progressive society.

  3. Re:I for one... by lahvak · · Score: 2, Funny

    In Korea, only old people clone mammoths.

    --
    AccountKiller
  4. Can Jurrasic Park be a reality... by majjj · · Score: 2, Funny

    Remember the plot... somehow they used the DNA sequence of existing lizards and filled in the new sequence to fertilize Dianosaur egg.
    :-) I think the scientists must be trying to regenerate a Mammoth out of a current age elephant.

  5. Re:Way Cool by TheOtherAgentM · · Score: 1, Funny

    If we ever want to overthrow them, we can just wax them. I heard it hurts. I saw it in 40-Year-Old Virgin.

  6. Easily explained by jd · · Score: 3, Funny

    Human DNA is a mammoth problem, right? Which means mammoth DNA must be a human problem.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  7. What nerdy kids will want for Christmas... by bluethundr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Instead of the word pony, you'll hear the whiney phrase "Mommy, Daddy, can I have a fully sequenced Woolly Mammoth for Christmas?"

    --
    Quod scripsi, scripsi.
  8. tasty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    mmmm...BBQ mammoth

  9. Re:I for one... by MasterPi · · Score: 2, Funny

    In communist Russia, the mammoths clone you.

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    ( I
  10. Re:Incorrect title (again) by Tatarize · · Score: 2, Funny

    Which raises an odd problem... can mammoths eat lawyers? If not, why bother?

    --

    It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
  11. Re:Mitochondrial DNA! by value_added · · Score: 2, Funny

    Although the information that can be extracted from the analysis of mitochondrial DNA can be more informative as to lineage and evolutionary cladistics.

    Sentence fragment.

    Come on folks, this is junior high biology.....

    And that was grade school English. ;-)

  12. The woolly mammoth... by sulli · · Score: 3, Funny

    as intelligently designed by an intelligent designer, according to the Kansas School Board.

    --

    sulli
    RTFJ.
  13. Mitochondrial Count by wizardguy · · Score: 3, Funny

    How much is the Mitochondrial Count ? Is it higher than Yoda ? Is it higher than Anakin ?

    So the force is strong in him but I sense great fear in the Woolly Mammoth , and fear leads to extinction.

  14. Relief by eniu!uine · · Score: 4, Funny

    What a relief. This will bring us one step closer to our goal of identifying mammoth diseases before we lose any treatment options. My prediction: Due to this new research not a single mammoth will die in 2006.

  15. How many bytes... by Douglas+Simmons · · Score: 2, Funny

    would it take to store a human genome's worth of DNA? Are we talking sub-gig if we use SVCD or divx-like encoding?

  16. Ted Turner is going to make out like a bandit! by Chris+Tucker · · Score: 2, Funny

    Original Recipe Flintstones(TM) Wooly Mammoth ribs!

    Mmmmmmm........ ribs!

    --
    Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
  17. You missed 'arthritic'... by kale77in · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unless cloning has gotten better, that probably should have read: > "I for one, welcome our dodgy, arthritic mammoth overlords." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1741559.stm

  18. Re:bogus: diverging about half a million years lat by deaddrunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nope that's Elton John

    --
    Does a Christian soccer team even need a goalkeeper?
  19. Re:Might Mammouth DNA reveal... by PakProtector · · Score: 1, Funny
    what is the air speed velocity of an unladen elephant?

    What do you mean? Hurled from a Catapult or a Trebuchet?

    --

    Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
    man: no entry for woman in the manual.
    "Qua!?"