Mammoth Cloning
I don’t know what brought this to mind (my brain is a weird and wonder-deficient place), but I recall reading a while back that scientists think that it will eventually be possible to recreate the extinct woolly mammoth, which began dying out about 10,000 years ago and went extinct about 3,700 years ago.1
The theory goes that, because they have found frozen samples containing complete strands of woolly mammoth DNA and because DNA provides the full recipe for building an individual of that species, it should be possible to clone a new woolly mammoth from the available DNA.
I know next to nothing about cloning, so I may be way off-base on this, but, notwithstanding the film Jurassic Park, I doubt the same would be true for a species such as the dinosaurs that went extinct about 65-million years before the woolly mammoth. The reason being is that, as I understand it, we have no complete, undamaged DNA strands from those Jurassic-era beasts.
Without a complete DNA sample available, who knows what you would end up with if you tried cloning a partial DNA strand? Chimpanzee DNA differs from human DNA by only about a couple of percent, yet it’s reasonably easy for us to differentiate between humans and chimpanzees. So, imagine what you might get if you tried to clone an animal from a DNA sample with more than a few percent of its genome missing.
I know that Jurassic Park suggested that you could fill in the missing gene sequences with DNA from a similar modern-day animal, but that sounds like a highly suspect procedure to me. I would imagine that you could end up with a monstrosity with something like a tail of a lizard, a body of a Tyrannosaurus, and the head of a Republican. Be afraid. Be very afraid!
But the same is not true of the wooly mammoth. Complete DNA samples exist so, theoretically at least, flawless cloning should be possible when the technology and methodology is perfected.
Of course, because we can do something doesn’t mean that we should do it. Some people argue that cloning a long-extinct species would be playing God. If you’ve been a loyal reader of this blog (and if you have, then what the hell is wrong with you?), you’ll know that I’m an atheist and, therefore, I don’t think much of that view. My attitude is that humans created God so if we have the opportunity to play that role, why shouldn’t we?
The argument put forward in Jurassic Park about the unpredictability of the consequences of bringing back long-extinct species to cohabit the planet with a species, namely us humans, that didn’t exist when the extinct species was alive doesn’t hold water in this case. The woolly mammoth was still roaming the Earth while modern humans were busy populating the planet, so we have proof that we can co-exist.
When it comes down to it, I think the scientific potential of bringing back the woolly mammoth is too great to ignore once we have perfected the means to clone them. Imagine the incredible things we could learn by doing that! I, for one, think it would be awesome to find out first-hand what those amazing beasts taste like after being butchered into steaks and grilled on a barbeque. Don’t you?
Mmmm. Mammoth.
Stephanie Barr: Yum.
Now, truthfully, how would you know I’m tasty?
Though, now that I mention that, I’ve never had any elephant either and I presume it would be the closest analog to mammoth meat. Given the age of elephants, do you think it gets tough?
Stephanie Barr: Um … ah … (blushing) that’s not what I meant.
I’ve never tried elephant meat. Maybe it’s time for a surreptitious trip to the zoo.
I thought the Repugnicant party was proof that cloning is not only possible but unavoidably obscene.
On the other hand, imagine the possibilities of adding to the world’s supply of organic zoo doo.
Doctor Faustroll: The expanded organic doo supply would be a benefit, but you’ve got to admit that the prospect is frightening.
Even if Wooly Mammoth proved to be edible meat, it doesn’t mean people would want to eat it. I mean, they’ve been trying to get us to eat buffalo for years and that hasn’t gone over all that well, has it?
Patricia: I’ve had bison burgers. They taste better than regular beef burgers and they are supposedly lower in fat content. Bring on the mammoths.
My ancestors used to love bison jerky and buffalo bento, I bet mammoth mole would be a real hit at Taco Tico.
Doctor Faustroll: No doubt it would be a great success. And I would imagine that you’d get a lot of meat out of each mammoth, making it an affordable treat as well.
What are you talking about… Bison is one of the fastest growing meats in America today. Personally, I enjoy it. It is just another type of beef. Bison are merely wild bovines which have never been domesticated by man – until recently.
Ted Turner has 2.3 million of them on his 43,000 acre ranch and is betting that they will be the next Black Angus Burger at Hardees. He’s probably right, too…. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
Mammoth meat: good eatin’. Bring on the cloning!
Regarding the DNS of dinos– perhaps you missed the news story a few years ago, that soft tissue and red blood cells had been discovered in a partially-decomposed dino bone? I remember seeing something on CNN online, if I recall correctly. So who knows, Jurassic Park just may be in our future. But for now, we’ll have to content ourselves with the maneaters in Washington. :-p
Crabby Blogging Lady: Yeah, my mouth is watering in anticipation of the mammoth.
Yeah, I had missed that news. So the DNA hadn’t decayed at all in the past tens of millions of years? That’s exciting. Bring on that dino meat.
The great surprise was the soft tissue in these petrified bones and [yes] it includes reasonably intact DNA strands. They are now doing the unthinkable and breaking these bones to obtain a registry of all their specific DNA. It started by accident, when they had to cut one in half to fit it in a helicopter for transporting it. At the lab, they discovered this intact tissue and blood vessels.
More importantly, for better or worse, they are taking it to the next level. I would advise reading JOB chapter 47 before doing so, however. These things are not just big chickens!
DNS, lol. That’s a good one. I meant DNA. In case you couldn’t translate.
Crabby Blogging Lady: I was wondering what Domain Name Servers had to do with this. Just kidding. I figured it out. Thanks for the correction.
My life just hasn’t seemed the same since we stopped being able to keep Wooly Mammoths as pets. Can’t wait to get them back.
Troi: Yes, they’d make such wonderful pets and meals.
Actually, since they are just a shaggy variety of elephants, they would probably taste like elephant. Have you eaten elephant yet? You might want to try it….
Of course, you are incorrect about the dinosaurs. They are already working on them while you are writing this blog. I just wrote a post upon that particular subject and have included the video from NOVA to prove it in my blog. And yes, it is being done using avian genetics which are closest to the original dinosaurs.
The idea is to examine the dino fragments and activate the correct bird DNA sequences to recreate these behemoths – from so long ago. Although they do not have complete DNA, the fragments which they do have are now complete for several species – including “T REX.” They are now manipulating these bird genes and recreating the proper combinations.
However, they still may not be successful in creating a live animal. Personally, I am hoping not… but – like you – they are very well determined to do it… so I suspect it will one day happen. God save us!