Extinct animals could be brought back

[Owlscrying]

The idea of resurrecting extinct animals moved a step closer to reality last year when scientists announced that they had decoded almost all of the genome of the woolly mammoth, from 60,000-year-old remains found frozen in Siberia.

Now New Scientist magazine has named the 10 other beasts most likely to rise again, including the Irish elk deer whose antlers measured 12 feet across, the dodo and Neanderthal man.

Animals that died out thousands of years ago could be recreated using genetic information retrieved from well-preserved specimens recovered from permafrost, dark caves or dry desserts.

There is no chance of bringing back the dinosaurs because genetic information is unlikely to survive more than a million years in any environment.

But scientists have just announced they had "resurrected" a gene from the Tasmanian tiger by implanting it in a mouse and examined its function - the first time such a feat had been achieved.

The genomes of several extinct species besides the mammoth are already being sequenced.

To revive a long-dead species scientists would have to recover enough DNA from a well-preserved specimen and find a suitable surrogate species similar to that of the extinct animal in which to grow the new baby from an embryo.

"It's hard to say that something will never ever be possible,"said Svante Pääbo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who is sequencing the Neanderthal genome.

"But it would require technologies so far removed from what we currently have that I cannot imagine how it would be done."

Assuming we will develop the necessary advanced technology, New Scientist has selected 10 extinct creatures that might one day be resurrected.

1. Neanderthal: Extinct: 25,000 years ago.

A draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome should be published sometime this year by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Humans would make the ideal surrogates.

2. Sabre-toothed tiger: Extinct: 10,000 years ago

There are some spectacularly preserved sabre-toothed specimens from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, and lions are close enough to be surrogates.

3. Short-faced bear: Extinct: 11,000 years ago

This towering beast would dwarf the world's largest living land carnivore, the polar bear, stanidng a third taller when standing upright, and it weighed up to a tonne. Recovering its DNA should be possible as there are specimens encased in permafrost.

4. Tasmanian tiger: Extinct: 1936

The last Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart Zoo in 1936 which means there are well preserved tissues to obtain good-quality DNA. The tasmanian devil would make good surrogate.

5. Glyptodon: Extinct: 11,000 years ago

The Volkswagen Beetle-sized "colossal" armadillo, with its spiky, club-like tail, once rumbled across the South American countryside, and some might fancy seeing it do so again.

6. Dodo: Extinct: AD1690

In 2002 geneticists at Oxford University got permission to cut into the world's best-preserved dodo specimen, a foot bone – complete with skin and feathers – held under lock and key at the university's Museum of Natural History.

7. Woolly rhinoceros: Extinct: 10,000 years ago

As with the mammoth, there are plenty of specimens preserved in permafrost, and the availability of hair, horns and hooves is a big plus. These tissues can be cleaned up to release an abundance of near-pure rhino DNA.

8. Giant ground sloth: Extinct: 8,000 years ago

This giant stood around six metres tall and is estimated to have weighed a whopping four tonnes. The sloth's relatively recent extinction means several specimens have been found with hair, an excellent source of DNA.

9. Irish elk: Extinct: 7,700 years ago

A typical male stood more than two metres tall at the shoulder and sported antlers 12 feet wide. It is actually a deer rather than an elk and its closest living relative is the much smaller fallow deer.

10. Moa: Extinct: AD 1500

There is plenty of DNA to be found for this flightless bird, which is similar to an ostrich, in well-preserved bones and even eggs in caves across New Zealand.

Source

[TheLivingDead]

That would be amazing to see some of these animals walk the earth again. I think I would like to see the Irish Elk the most, at least in person, it would probably be the safest too.

[IronWarrior]

i would love to see:

woolly rhino

saber tooth tiger

moa

glyptodon

but i would really love to see them bring back

the Tasmain Tiger or the Dodo, since we were the main cause these creatures went exticnt

[Relle]

Has no one seen Jurassic Park?

Once you have created these creatures where do you put them? How do you care for them? As cool as it would be what happens after they are born?

[Neognosis]

They should never bring back anything other than a single male specimin who should be neutered immediately. the reintroduction of an extinct species could play havoc on the ecosystem, which no doubt has changed after the extinction.

Why bring them back at all though?

[The Silver Thong]

I have to admit the thought of bringing these cretures back sounds fantastic but any re-introduction back to the wild would be very irrisponsible forsure. A Volkswagon size armadilo with a spiked tail that would be cool. lol

[IronWarrior]

still sounds cool to me

[Poster Girl]

It would be hard for a lot of these animals to exist these days, especially with the whole "global warming" thing.

But i think it would be awesome to see these creatures in person.

I watched this thing on tv once (i think it was animal planet? or maybe discovery channel) and they actually had a frozen sabre-tooth tiger embryo, and they think that they could inject its DNA in a pregnant cat and blah blah, i don't exactly remember what they said. (i saw this like 4 years ago)

But they said that they only have one chance to do it, and they wouldn't want to risk it.

[stevewinn]

I'd like to see any extinct animals brought back. The woolly mammoth would be a sight for sore eyes.

[The Silver Thong]

I'd like to see any extinct animals brought back. The woolly mammoth would be a sight for sore eyes.

Just how old are you Stevey boy? Have to admit a ride on a Wolly would be a thrill of a lifetime, hey I'm thinking Wolly Mammoth land might make a ton of money hmmm where do I get me some of that there DNA lol

[glorybebe]

While it would be awesome to see these creatures with my own eyes, I have to say that these animals went extinct for a reason. To bring them back would be so irresponsible.

[stevewinn]

Just how old are you Stevey boy? Have to admit a ride on a Wolly would be a thrill of a lifetime, hey I'm thinking Wolly Mammoth land might make a ton of money hmmm where do I get me some of that there DNA lol

The possibilities are amazing, if achievable. The Dodo would be another i'd like to see brought back, Tasmanian tiger, and Winston Churchill if its possible.

Edited January 8, 2009 by stevewinn

[Neognosis]

Again, WHY? Simply for our amusement?

[The Silver Thong]

Again, WHY? Simply for our amusement?

I can't see any other reason but is that all bad. It would be nice to see some of these animals in paddoks not the wild, kinda like those wildlife places you drive through. Oh wait that sounds awfully familiar, dun dun dunnnnn lol

Just thought I would add, would it not be "right" to try and bring back some animals that went extinct due to man?

Edited January 8, 2009 by The Silver Thong

[stevewinn]

Again, WHY? Simply for our amusement?

Yes why not. were all living on borrowed time anyway.

[SoulFire]

I can't see any other reason but is that all bad. It would be nice to see some of these animals in paddoks not the wild, kinda like those wildlife places you drive through. Oh wait that sounds awfully familiar, dun dun dunnnnn lol

Just thought I would add, would it not be "right" to try and bring back some animals that went extinct due to man?

that's a good thought ST. also, why not bring some of them back in the name of science. historical scientists put soo much effort into learning all they can about them from fossils & stuff, it would be cool if some studies could be done on live ones. some extinct or prehistoric creature could contain a chemical that cures cancer or diabetes.

[Neognosis]

I can't see any other reason but is that all bad. It would be nice to see some of these animals in paddoks not the wild, kinda like those wildlife places you drive through. Oh wait that sounds awfully familiar, dun dun dunnnnn lol

Just thought I would add, would it not be "right" to try and bring back some animals that went extinct due to man?

Yes why not. were all living on borrowed time anyway.

Because in many cases, the ecosystem has adjusted to compensate for these missing species. To return them, intentionally or not, to these ecosystems would likey have severe consequences, including possible extinction of modern species.

[The Silver Thong]

Because in many cases, the ecosystem has adjusted to compensate for these missing species. To return them, intentionally or not, to these ecosystems would likey have severe consequences, including possible extinction of modern species.

Thats the key right there, these species could not be allowed to re-enter any ecosystem. I would be more worried if they thought of bring back an insect species or a small type of rodent/pest. These animals in question if ever to escape could be easily tracked and cought with little harm done, well hopefully anyway.

[Neognosis]

Thats the key right there, these species could not be allowed to re-enter any ecosystem.

It's unlikely that at least some would not re-enter an ecosystem though.

I'm all for messing around with science, but this seems to be the megaversion of releasing goldfish into local lakes and ponds.

[sarah snow]

I'd not want anything to be brought back, no matter how cute or fascinating.

I just get very uncomfortable when there are talks about mucking about with Mother Nature like this. Creepy, and it's bound to go seriously pear-shaped

[Grandpa Greenman]

Maybe we can undo some of the wrongs we have done. I would love to see a mammoth.

[SameerPrehistorica]

Its very amazing to see some of those creatures back.................................Mostly i want to see the whoolly mammoth...................It will be excellent to see that............

[Blue Raven]

It would be awsome to see some of these animals walk the earth, but like everything else I can see this whole thing being corrupted and "they" will charge borred rich guys plenty of $$$ to hunt them so that they can get that extra testosterone & ego boost...

[behaviour???]

Better they dont get any Trex back on life

Thanks

B???

[cormac mac airt]

I think a good question here would be how do we know that the dietary requirements of the animals in question could be met in our current environment?

Having wondered that, it would be cool to see a saber-tooth tiger or an Irish Elk.

cormac