Social Scientists are engineering Woolly Mammoths

[Samjj]

There was a big advertising push for something like "Reviving the Mammoth" in the early 2000's. It made it seem this is exactly what they were doing but it turned out to be a run of the mill documentary on mammoths after they found a well preserved juvenile in Siberia or somewhere. It was disappointing to say the least after months of anticipation.

Sounds very familiar.
I remember a similar program for the Tazmanian tiger as well.

It touches on the tragedy of humankind in our quest to explore and dominate the world. In doing so we’ve caused a number of extinctions.
These programs lead us to believe that we can redeems ourselves in using our new knowledge so that we can undo the sins of our past.

Dodos, mammoths, passenger pigeons… fascinating stuff.

 

[JonnyBonesPharmacist]

Sure would be nice if a fkin WOOLLY MAMMOTH was tromping around town....said no one ever. What a giant waste of money.


Unless they open a season on them, and people eat em

 

[jefferz]

The genetic diversity bit is good. Didn't even think about that to be honest.

The poster child for genetic diversity would probably be the cheetah.
Putting aside the habitat loss issues, cheetahs are genetically screwed. They’re heavily inbred, and probably won’t recover as a species.

 

[Ruthless Ryan]

I want one.
Do dinosaurs next.

Did you not see Jurassic park?

 

[Andy Capp]

Colossal Biosciences researchers in Texas who study ancient DNA found a 99.6 percent match between the woolly mammoth and the Asian elephant. It makes the species an ideal candidate for surrogacy and researchers plan to transfer a woolly mammoth embryo to an Asian elephant in 2026. If all goes according to plan, after a 22-month gestation period, the first woolly mammoth in millennia will be born in 2028.
Once the woolly mammoth calves are born, they'll be transported to their habitat in the Arctic circle, starting with Alaska and Canada.

Colossal Sciences has poured years of research and millions of dollars into the projects, and Lamm said the woolly mammoth work is "well on its way." However, scientists must study more than DNA to ensure the species' success. The company has partnered with several elephant conservation organizations for the project. It also studies animal husbandry and ensuring that the modern woolly mammoth wouldn't be susceptible to viruses that have killed its ancestors and relatives.

"We are trying to rebuild extinct species for today," Lamm said, adding that a research team is working to develop a vaccine to protect mammoth and elephant calves from the deadly Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus, the leading cause of death among Asian elephants. "We really think about how to engineer a more resilient, healthier animal."
"From there, we will implement a stage-gated process by which the descendant generations will be moved to larger and less managed facilities in what we call soft-release sites," Lamm said. "Eventually, as those generations mature and demonstrate independence, they will be moved to 'wild' release sites."

Also on Colossal Biosciences' list of projects is the dodo, a flightless bird on the island of Mauritius that went extinct in the 1600s, and the Tasmanian tiger, which vanished in the 1930s.

Extinct animals could suddenly be brought back to life

One ancient species is on track to be roaming the earth again by late 2028.

www.newsweek.com

They aren't using a wooly mammoth embryo. They're using an elephant embryo with mammoth DNA in it. The result is a chimera, not a wooly mammoth. Just sayin'.

Edit: source

 

[The XL]

Bring back the T-Rex

 

[Andy Capp]

There have been perpetual news reports like this since the mid 90's offering the same promises.
I remember when Jurassic Park came out it became a fun pop-science topic to dream about...

That was before the advent of CRISPR.

 

[Andy Capp]

Sure would be nice if a fkin WOOLLY MAMMOTH was tromping around town....said no one ever. What a giant waste of money.


Unless they open a season on them, and people eat em

The intention is to help Asian elephants not die off from a disease that looks set to decimate their population. But yeah without knowing anything whatsoever about the project or the reason for it you declare it's a waste. Proper Sherdog response.

 

[Samjj]

That was before the advent of CRISPR.

I would love it to work out and see that we are suddenly able to restore the biodiversity of destroyed ecosystems.. it would have really far reaching consequences.
Unfortunately I am very skeptical… would love to be wrong though.

 

[RonDante]

I don’t like this genetic engineering sort of stuff that much, but if they just bring them back and don’t do any crazy stuff with them I don’t see a problem

 

[JonnyBonesPharmacist]

The intention is to help Asian elephants not die off from a disease that looks set to decimate their population. But yeah without knowing anything whatsoever about the project or the reason for it you declare it's a waste. Proper Sherdog response.

So, scientists want to keep elephants from dieing by studying mammoths, which are all dead? Fkin LOL. How about people quit taking over their environment, maybe quit harvesting their tusks? Science bro, expensive guess

 

[Andy Capp]

I don’t like this genetic engineering sort of stuff that much, but if they just bring them back and don’t do any crazy stuff with them I don’t see a problem

What sort of crazy stuff do you have in mind?

 

[cincymma79]

Will be interesting to see which group of loonies freaks out over this and which group becomes 1000% for this just because it pisses the other side off.

If the large hairy mammals die their hair green it’ll be the left saying how brave the animal is

 

[Andy Capp]

I would love it to work out and see that we are suddenly able to restore the biodiversity of destroyed ecosystems.. it would have really far reaching consequences.
Unfortunately I am very skeptical… would love to be wrong though.

CRISPR has already proven its worth in real world application. I'm not saying it isn't ripe for abuse, because it is, Here's hoping the rarified air of the group of people skilled enough to use it weeds out most of the crazies for the time being. I feel confident that whatever its negative implications, it's going to be a much larger benefit to humanity and to helping repair the damage we've done to our environment.

Either way, I have a feeling its potential is a long way off from being fully realized. Until then, we get to hope for wooly disease-resistant elephants and root for the return of similes of extinct birds.

 

[RonDante]

What sort of crazy stuff do you have in mind?

I don’t know, making woolly mammoths with crazy intelligence or something. I meant more like will this lead to a slippery slope of genetically engineering humans

 

[MicroBrew]

I would like to see scientists add some wolverine or honey badger DNA to Pitbulls.

 

[AbominableJoman]

I would like to see scientists add some wolverine or honey badger DNA to Pitbulls.

Why, to make them safer around children?