Russian Scientists Revive Plant From 30,000-Year-Old Seeds

An anonymous reader writes "It was an Ice Age squirrel's treasure chamber, a burrow containing fruit and seeds that had been stuck in the Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 years. From the fruit tissues, a team of Russian scientists managed to resurrect an entire plant in a pioneering experiment that paves the way for the revival of other species. The Silene stenophylla is the oldest plant ever to be regenerated, the researchers said, and it is fertile, producing white flowers and viable seeds. ... 'The squirrels dug the frozen ground to build their burrows, which are about the size of a soccer ball, putting in hay first and then animal fur for a perfect storage chamber,' said Stanislav Gubin, one of the authors of the study, who spent years rummaging through the area for squirrel burrows. 'It's a natural cryobank.'"

Comments

Re:Enough Problems Already...

[rocketPack]

Human impact on the environment goes back before humans existed? That's impressive.

Also, note that the article makes no mention of any potential benefit to the world. They're just considering this a stepping stone to the ultimate goal of reviving the wolly mammoth. Not kidding. This is purely "because we can" and "so we can make money!" $cience. The potential fallout of this kind of reckless scientific exploitation is something we should have written off many, many years ago. The tone of the quotes in the article remind me of the race for an atomic bomb.

Re:I saw this movie

[Archangel Michael]

I would guess that it was a little more temperate than it currently is

Heresy! We all know that the earth is the hottest it has ever been, and getting hotter, all due to man. At least that is what CNN keeps telling me. /sarcasm

Right

[doremisoft]

Wow, that's so surprised. Mac Tips:DVD Maker For Mac | DVD Ripper Mac Lion