Woolly Bully! Mammoth DNA Sequenced!

[Tuckerfan]

Its not complete, but its pretty close.

A US-Russian team of researchers has pieced together the genome of a woolly mammoth, the journal Nature reports.

The experts extracted DNA from samples of mammoth hair to reconstruct the genetic sequence of this Ice Age beast.

There are still stretches missing, but the researchers estimate that the genome is roughly 80% complete.

This tidbit is interesting, however.

Once the researchers had extracted the DNA, they had to estimate how much of it actually came from the mammoth. So they mapped their genome sequence on to that of an African elephant - the mammoth’s close relative.

Analysis of the draft sequence revealed that the genome of a mammoth differs from that of an African elephant by just 0.6%.

No hope for cloning. Yet.

[Shayna]

Is there a reason we’d want to clone a woolly mammoth back into existence?

[Tuckerfan]

@Shayna

Is there a reason we’d want to clone a woolly mammoth back into existence?

To see how well they go with mashed potatoes!

[detop]

@Tuckerfan

To see how well they go with mashed potatoes!

Such an American answer. The real answer is : to find out which wine to serve with mammoth, of course

[Cisco]

This is my daily “goddamn I went to horrible schools with dumb teachers” moment. My 10th grade science teacher told us we had the means and technology to clone a woolly mammoth today. “Today” being . . . 1996.

[DocCathode]

@Shayna

Is there a reason we’d want to clone a woolly mammoth back into existence?

Two of the best reasons of all- Because we can, and because it might be fun.

[Moirai]

IIRC, we could use an elephant embryo the first time, and could end up with 100% woolly mammoth in 5 generations… I think. So, 100 years…

[Tuckerfan]

@detop

Such an American answer. The real answer is : to find out which wine to serve with mammoth, of course

Ah, but you see, this American knows that it is best to let the French select the wine!

[detop]

Not true. Could be anybody who comes from a wine culture :Italians, Spaniards, Californians, etc …

[Tuckerfan]

@detop

Not true. Could be anybody who comes from a wine culture :Italians, Spaniards, Californians, etc …

Dude, you’re pissing the French off! Stop it! They were just starting to like us again!

[BrainGlutton]

@Shayna

Is there a reason we’d want to clone a woolly mammoth back into existence?

Mammoth porn!

[detop]

@Tuckerfan

Dude, you’re pissing the French off! Stop it! They were just starting to like us again!

Then ask them how to properly cook and serve the beastie.

And the first one who suggests mammoth haggis, will be made sushi of

[Labrador_Deceiver]

@EJsGirl

IIRC, we could use an elephant embryo the first time, and could end up with 100% woolly mammoth in 5 generations… I think. So, 100 years…

Can Mammoths (or elephants) not reproduce until they’re 20? Honest question.

[Moirai]

I think they mature quite slowly, yes. Lemme see…

Here’s something about Asian elephants in the wild- not quite as long s I thought…

Female Asian elephants attain sexual maturity when 9-12 years old. Males are capable of reproduction at 10-17 years, but they are still too young to dominate older females and do not significantly contribute to reproduction.

Also, it looks like a long gestation peiod (22 months) and a female will only produce one calf every 3-4 years. From here.

[Tuckerfan]

@detop

Then ask them how to properly cook and serve the beastie.

And the first one who suggests mammoth haggis, will be made sushi of

No, no, no, no. For huge slabs of meat, you want either a Texan or an Argentinian. Those guys know how to BBQ!

[Jaglavak]

Dude. You should be terrified. Mammoths are just the side show.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/388618_mammoth20.html
“<snip>
The other method involves synthetic biology in which scientists would create life forms from scratch. Once this technique is developed – and leaders in the field say it is just 3 to 10 years away – scientists would follow the mammoth recipe to build a mammoth cell.”
We’re talking about directly building viruses and simple bacteria from a computer file. Think fancy printer, more or less. The ability to construct designer bugs from relatively cheap raw materials should be keeping you awake at night.

:: cough - military applications - cough ::

We live in interesting times.

[Tuckerfan]

NYT sez: clone a mammoth for $10 million.

Dr. Schuster and Dr. Miller said there was no technical obstacle to decoding the full mammoth genome, which they believe could be achieved for a further $2 million. They have already been able to calculate that the mammoth’s genes differ at some 400,000 sites on its genome from that of the African elephant.

There is no present way to synthesize a genome-size chunk of mammoth DNA, let alone to develop it into a whole animal. But Dr. Schuster said a shortcut would be to modify the genome of an elephant’s cell at the 400,000 or more sites necessary to make it resemble a mammoth’s genome. The cell could be converted into an embryo and brought to term by an elephant, a project he estimated would cost some $10 million. “This is something that could work, though it will be tedious and expensive,” he said.

Some years ago, I saw a program about a Texas oil millionaire (who’s probably a billionaire by now) who was actively hunting for mammoth DNA for cloning purposes. He wanted to open a park filled with clones of extinct animals.

[Madd_Maxx]

@Tuckerfan

Some years ago, I saw a program about a Texas oil millionaire (who’s probably a billionaire by now) who was actively hunting for mammoth DNA for cloning purposes. He wanted to open a park filled with clones of extinct animals.

Oh, I think I’ve seen that movie.

[Tuckerfan]

@Madd_Maxx

Oh, I think I’ve seen that movie.

Billy and the Clonasaurs? Based on the book by Seymour Skinner?