Scientist estimate that the Woolly Mammoth became extinct about 10,000 years ago. The prehistoric beasts seemingly fell victim to climate changes that reduced their food supply to unsustainable quantities. Thanks to the ice age, many specimens have been preserved throughout the millennia, frozen in some of the coldest parts of the world. This has given modern day scientists a lot of material to work with in researching these massive creatures.
Russian scientists, who have been working on mapping a Siberian Mammoth’s DNA, are using Woolly Mammoth hair samples that were found on frozen specimens. They have thus far succeeded in mapping eighty percent of it. Once complete, they will attempt to clone a Woolly Mammoth by artificially inseminating an elephant. Elephant DNA has 56 Chromosomes while Mammoths actually have 58. Nevertheless, with enough time and research they think it may be possible.
You may be wondering why they would want to do this and what would they plan to do with the creatures. Haven’t you ever watched Jurassic Park! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they have already selected a preserve where they would keep the Mammoths. Of course it would have to be a very controlled environment as releasing the beasts into the wild might cause chaos to the present ecosystem.
Some have met this news with excitement and curiosity while others, those who question the morality of cloning, greet it with skepticism. Mankind has done much damage to this planet and has been responsible for the extinction of many of its animal residents. Could this process be the beginning of something that can lead man to bring back some of mother nature’s lost species or is it yet another way that he continues to meddle with what is not in his right to toy with?
