Mammoth fragments from Siberia raise cloning hopes

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Grand Master

Hum

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MOSCOW (AP) ? Scientists have discovered well-preserved frozen woolly mammoth fragments deep in Siberia that may contain living cells, edging a tad closer to the "Jurassic Park" possibility of cloning a prehistoric animal, the mission's organizer said Tuesday.

Russia's North-Eastern Federal University said an international team of researchers had discovered mammoth hair, soft tissues and bone marrow some 328 feet (100 meters) underground during a summer expedition in the northeastern province of Yakutia.

Expedition chief Semyon Grigoryev said Korean scientists with the team had set a goal of finding living cells in the hope of cloning a mammoth. Scientists have previously found bones and fragments but not living cells.

Grigoryev told the online newspaper Vzglyad it would take months of research to determine whether they have indeed found the cells.

"Only after thorough laboratory research will it be known whether these are living cells or not," he said, adding that would take until the end of the year at the earliest.

Wooly mammoths are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago, although scientists think small groups of them lived longer in Alaska and on Russia's Wrangel Island off the Siberian coast.

Scientists already have deciphered much of the genetic code of the woolly mammoth from balls of mammoth hair found frozen in the Siberian permafrost. Some believe it's possible to recreate the prehistoric animal if they find living cells in the permafrost.

Those who succeed in recreating an extinct animal could claim a "Jurassic Park prize," the concept of which is being developed by the X Prize Foundation that awarded a 2004 prize for the first private spacecraft.

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Grand Master

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It would be very cool but I have a feeling we will find out pretty quickly why they are extinct / why humans and mammoth can not coexist

The humans cannot coexist with many species on this planet; take the predators, for example, like the tigers - I'd recommend everyone to stay away from them as far as possible.

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Xilo

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It would be very cool but I have a feeling we will find out pretty quickly why they are extinct / why humans and mammoth can not coexist

Mammoths (from what we know) are basically just elephants that live in the cold.

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Osiris

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I'm sure the Mamoths will appreciate being brought back from extinction to sit around in Siberian zoos for tourism $$$

Still good step for cloning, im still hanging out for the velociraptors to come back. Maybe declaw them...de-teeth them, get them on a good herbivore diet and those guy will be great fun. Especially good at hide and seek me thinks.

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Memphis

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I'm sure the Mamoths will appreciate being brought back from extinction to sit around in Siberian zoos for tourism $$$

Still good step for cloning, im still hanging out for the velociraptors to come back. Maybe declaw them...de-teeth them, get them on a good herbivore diet and those guy will be great fun. Especially good at hide and seek me thinks.

Ive been hearing this for years and years and will believe it when I see it.

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Hum

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It would be very cool but I have a feeling we will find out pretty quickly why they are extinct / why humans and mammoth can not coexist

Mammoths and humans have existed on Earth, at the same time.

Not saying no one got stepped on ... :p

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Tuishimi

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The humans cannot coexist with many species on this planet; take the predators, for example, like the tigers - I'd recommend everyone to stay away from them as far as possible.

Where is the fun in that? :)

"but not living cells." I don't believe it is possible to find any living cells from any LONG extinct, complex animal. But I think it's kind of cool to try it out. Weren't there a group of throwback Indian elephants that had primitive features? I think I remember seeing that in a Nat. Geo. issue or something like that. They could be a good host, maybe.

They wouldn't be able to survive, though. It's too warm for them now.

Nawww. Our zoo has built in showers for the elephants that they can trigger themselves. Keeps'em cool and cozy even in 115F Phoenix. I bet with a regular hair cut, a bucket full of ice and a cooling shower they would be just fine.

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