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© 2011 AFPJapan, Russia see chance to clone mammoth
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© 2011 AFP
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Lunchbox
Yasushi Akimoto would be the man to talk too, he's a world leader at cloning.
Christopher Blackwell
We can't keep the elephants we have alive around the world and we want to add one that died out to the mess? Why?
YuriOtani
Oh it is better than making weapons and mostly harmless.
presto345
The mammoth became extinct for a reason. Why recreating it now? To satisfy someone's curiosity. Or to show off what man can achieve?
telecasterplayer
Japan wants to bring a species back from extinction. Meanwhile, Japan is hunting dwindling whale populations because 5 or 6 rich guys like to eat it.
Foxie
And nobody is concerned about that poor elephant delivering a monster.
cleo
They want to do it just to show that they can? No one concerned about the poor baby mammoth (actually probably hundreds of deformed/aborted baby mammoths before they get it right) that will be born into a world where it has no place?
What's the point?
mimitchy
To show the world how inflated their God complex is?
mimitchy
Silly me, God has no place in science.
But why does the idea of bringing back extinct species to life seem to somehow grossly disturbs the course of life on this planet? It's like trying to hop onto a different track of reality permanently.
Jamie in Japan
I think this seems like a great thing. I'd love to see living mammoths, and someday hopefully dinosaurs too! Just because they died out, doesn't mean that they actually deserved to.
Humans aren't the only species worth surviving, after all!
cleo
Still don't see the point....
T_rexmaxytime
Sounds really exciting. Kinda feel bad for the mammoth coming back to life though... This tech will turn into moral debates.
Virtuoso
Hey, don't knock it, we can breed them for their wool and the project will eventually pay for itself. It'll become more popular than cashmere or even alpaca. I can just see it now -- mammoth wool sweaters, mammoth blankets, mammoth overcoats, mammoth carpets, etc.
oberst
too bad the mammoths were before the time of Noah.....................timing is everything.
BlueWitch
@Jamie in Japan
With all due respect, are you serious with your post? Dinosaurs back? This isn't Jurassic Park. Do you think you can keep them imprisoned inside some amusement park so you and your friends can see them? Dinosaurs, like presto345 stated, became extinct for a reason, same with the Mammoth. I agree with Cleo...what's the point in bringing these extinct animals back? Entertainment? Forget about Dinosaurs, Mammoths and anything bigger than a blue whale. Unless you are willing to become THEIR food, do not spread such impossible ideas, please. It's insane.
Samantha Zoe Aso
More ecofriendly than cars! Could train them up!
Uwe Paschen
Mammoth are not dinosaurs. The cause for their extinction is still unclear. However, much archeological evidence points to humans hunting them into extinction rather than climate changes. Being able to bring back an extinct specie would be of great value to us in light of the rate of species being extinct on earth in large part due to human activities. It would allow us to fix conditions on earth once we managed to control our CO2 emissions and than repopulate the planet with lost biodiversity. Also in light of our quest to one day Terra form Mars this would allow us to gain the tools and know how to breath life onto a planet. So far we have just managed to take life away.
Hero_us
Call it reintroduction... a lot of very interesting megafauna became extinct when men started going on their big rampage a few tens of thousands years ago (moas, the largest birds ever became extinct in New Zealand just a few centuries ago after being hunted to extinction). Recreating species could bring back some select ecosystems to something resembling their prehistoric condition. I find this very exciting. Also think of the touristic potential: compare 'tour Siberia' with 'tour Siberia: watch herds of mammoths!'
7777777
Awful idea. See the size of the tusk! Just imagine the size of the mammoth. Something like that running around would cause lots of deaths. Even elephants cause lots of deaths to humans much less a mammoth, but I doubt the mammoth would get the option of living the joy of a free life. Instead it would be put in a miserable cage by itself with no other mammoths to relate to. It would be created to live in solitary confinement other than scientists poking and jabbing it with needles to study and gawkers coming to stare at it. Why create something to have just a miserable life? It is terribly wrong.
nath
As if they haven't cloned a human yet.
Oh right, the technology doesn't exist for that, wink wink.
nath
Mammoths, not being ready for the wilds will be managed by humans forever- Think of all the ivory.
Hide Suzuki
@BlueWitch There is no animal bigger than blue whales, as they are considered the largest animals ever, including dinasours. "Do not spread such impossible ideas" If it's impossible, then do you have to worry then ?
nath
Do we really need another Jurasic period? Wern't they the dominant species?
BlueWitch
@Hide Suzuki
Hide, do you CARE to re-read my post again, please?
I never said there ARE animals bigger than the BlueWhale. I meant that bringing back (clone)any animal bigger than the Blue Whale would be a serious mistake, if not deadly. Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason, my friend.
BlueWitch
@阮天青
and this is precisely why we must not let this happen. ever.
naruhodo1
Whats this reason everyone keeps talkng about for dinosaurs extinction. Let me in to this secret. Im sure we can find an island to house new species (or we can just make one in the middle of the ocean if we want!!)
wanderlust
Poor ol' Mammoth, doomed to a life without a mate. They'll either be all male or all female...
Something unnatural about the whole idea of cloning a single member of a species, how will they reproduce?
Hide Suzuki
@BlueWitch, Maybe you should re-read my post. There have been no record of any dynasour that was bigger blue whales. Again Blue whales are considered the largest animals, EVER, on earth.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
BlueWitch
@wanderlust
Good question, my friend. But then again, I deeply believe these kind of prehistoric species should NEVER be brought back to life, to our lifetime at least.
Now, if they really wanna clone something, why not the Japanese Wolf? The people hunted it to extinction not so long ago and now the Inashishi Wild Boar does not have a major natural predator which is why their population numbers are very high.
Elbuda Mexicano
@Bluewitch, I think you and I are on the same page here, if this animal died long long ago, it was for a reason, let them enjoy museums! Not the wilds of XXXX country!
BlueWitch
@Elbuda
I know it might sound very interesting to some folk to have such majestic and magnificent species back in our time and enjoy looking a them and everything, but for some reason, they ceased to exist and the homo sapiens sapiens leaped forward and became what we are today. Top of the Food chain, unfortunately. Evolution played a big part on this. Imagine bringing back this species and that for our own bad luck they turn our to be on top of the food chain, guess who will end being their food? Mankind would be a great risk. Not that I don't wish for our own extinction at times after all the damage, cruelty and plain misery WE have brought to mother earth. This planet, we were merely guests in here. It wasn't ours to take over and destroy but well, that's what happened.