Mammoth fragments from Siberia raise cloning hopes
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.
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.
Hmmmm... I'm up in the air on this one. While I think it would be AWESOME to recreate an extinct species, I also think that everything happens for a reason and it might be a good idea to leave well-enough alone.
Oh my - Jurassic Park immediately enters my mind. Whether you believe in evolution or creationism (or a combination of both), when we start reviving species that were killed off for whatever reason (natural selection, catastrophic events, God's will), we are asking for trouble. Everything else has adapted since the disappearance of the mammoth, and the world is a very different place. IMO, cloning them a baaaaaad plan.
i would give all i have for the rib eye from one of those!
@mountainman Betcha a mammoth rib eye could feed you for a month!
This is almost as cool as digging up those frozen people who died in the 1918 flu pandemic to see exactly "what" strain of virus it was.
Too Cool!
Be careful! Shelley's "Frankenstein" (franken-STEEN!) was an allegory warning us about playing God. Who is to say ancient viruses long extinct or mutated may not cause havoc with current life forms.
 @Sid Vishess A fair question - but since they would only be retrieving the DNA of the Mammoth, there is nil risk that would include any DNA from any organisms the animal would have carried in it's body.
I see more risk from any pathogens that might be frozen with the sample - and do have confidence that the risk of that IS being controlled by the scientists. That risk, BTW, runs with every ice core sample taken from the ice sheets. There are actually lakes of fresh water deep within the Antarctic ice packs that are being explored - with great care being taken both to avoid releasing any ancient lifeforms, but also to prevent any current ones infecting the primitive waters.
@OrcasThunder You have a lot more faith in scientists in general and Russian scientists in particular than I do.
In their rush to publish and get their names in scientific journals and in the news I have to wonder how many shortcuts they're willing to take.
Doing something just because you can doesn't always work out for the best.
Sometimes common sense is called for.
 @Mej47 Doing something just because you can doesn't always work out for the best."
No, it doesn't.
But...neither does not doing something because you fear the future, either.
Firstly, I love what the X Prize Foundation is doing with these prizes...very exciting to see crazy dreams succeed with the right monetary motivation. Secondly, could there really be 10k+ year old tissue with living cells? Ice is cold but it's not like this thing was cryo-frozen in Demolition Man. Hard to imagine but I guess we'll have to see.