Name: Alexandra
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Question:
I have just read your questions and answers on "Jurassic
Park" and was
wondering what the potential was for recreating a mammoth or dodo?
The problems I forsee (and my knowledge is very limited) are that the
samples are old and may have been effected by age due to being
organic - is this possible?
The mammoth tissue samples have all been frozen, will this effect DNA?
(I have been trying to research cryonics but with limited success).
If we were able to obtain some DNA, could we add missing pieces?
Finally, if we had sufficient DNA, how could we produce the animal?
Would invitro-fertilisation of a simialar species ie elephant be
possible?
I'm sure some of this is impossible as yet, but what is the potential for
the future?
Replies:
It's funny you should mention this because I just printed an article for my
class on this very topic. I suggest you go to ABC.com and look under their
science archives and search for "Mammoth". A mammoth has been found in ice
in Russia and they want to clone it if possible. They would take an elephant
egg, remove its nucleus, insert a mammoth nucleus (assuming it was intact)
and use an elephant as a surrogate mother. You can watch a special about
this on the Discovery Channel on March 12 from 8-10 EST.
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