The Lazarus Zoo: Resurrecting Extinct Species 46
An anonymous reader writes "The Australian Museum is attempting to resurrect the extinct Tasmanian tiger, using pup cells harvested from storage jars in alcohol from 70 years ago. The tiger was hunted to extinction, and has the ironic distinction of receiving legal protection the same year that the last of its kind (named Benjamin) died at the Hobart Zoo on September 7, 1936. Other cloning attempts at conserving endangered species include the South Asian banteng on an Ohio farm, the world's last burcado (a Spanish mountain goat), a wild Asian ox called the gaur, and even a woolly mammoth." They're hoping for a live birth in 2010.
Oh great (Score:2, Funny)
Hey! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hey! [Obligatory Simpsons reference] (Score:2)
Apu: "What? First you take a concept that's already been done, then you give it a name that nobody could possibly ever like..." "... biggest movie ever!
Telomere damage (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:3, Insightful)
By the way, I saw a tidbit about resurrecting the Tasmanian devil on TV last night, and there were some people that claimed they had seen live ones and are not convinced that it's really extinct. That would be great because if they are resurrected from the puppy cells from the jars you can bet that a live one comes wandering out of the forest just then. And then you
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
>The telomeres must be restored in the genitals
>somehow or the offspring would live shorter than
>their parents..
Or they don't shorten in an embrio and in genitals, which I think that's more likely, but I'm just talking out my, um, hat. I hope someone with some facts answers your question.
I would like to qualify this by saying that I am not a human phys person. I am a CS/Ecology person, so I expecte to be corrected if I'm too far off base. That said, I do believe that yes, you are talking out
Good News (Score:2, Funny)
I recently received an email from someone who has discovered a way to lengthen genitals. I'll forward it to the Australian Museum.
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:1)
Hrrrk?
GRRRRRRR!!
Re:Telomere damage (Score:1)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
You do realize that all clones will have the same gender... right?
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:2)
Re:Telomere damage (Score:1)
Re: Shortened Telomeres (Score:1)
Cells that are very active / replicate a lot through an organisms lifetime (eg in the small intestine, the uterus) do contain telomerase. I don't know whether anyone has tried cloning cells from one of these areas of the body.
Re: Shortened Telomeres (Score:1)
cells from the intestine are one of the prime area for harvesting. Also less nuclear damage...
omard-out
Its a dupe (n/t) (Score:2)
Re:Its a dupe (n/t) (Score:2, Funny)
Ok, ok, ok. All species are equal, yadda yadda... (Score:2, Interesting)
Right, but do we REALLYneed more goats? I mean, a goat is a goat is a goat.
Re:Ok, ok, ok. All species are equal, yadda yadda. (Score:2)
Actually, it's probably FAR more important to look at the species we're using for agriculture NOW, instead of trying to bring back extinct species.
We would do a LOT better to introduce at least some measure of diversity into our farms, and our diets,
It's not all about what WE need.. (Score:1)
Live birth in 2010 (Score:5, Funny)
On UK TV next week (Score:2, Informative)
Discovery Channel, 9p.m. 1st April in the UK.
Cloning the Tasmanian Tiger [beeb.com]
(It's been shown before).
That's OK, but... (Score:1)
Re:That's OK, but... (Score:2)
Don't count your _______ until they've hatched (Score:2)
Re:What other extinct animals will they bring back (Score:1)
Big F*cking Deal - Here's why this is not smart. (Score:3, Interesting)
1) Most species are rare. Very few species can be considered to be common.
2) Most species have ALWAYS been and will ALWAYS be rare.
3) Rarity is not something that is special in and of itself.
4) Extinctions have been happening since the dawn of time.
5) If a species is extinct, there's most always a reason for it. What has changed that would allow them to survive now?
Conservation is VERY important, but our time and effort would be much better served by preserving what we have, not trying to undo what we have done. What's done is done. Concentrate on the present.
WE MUST SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE HUMANS TO DRIVE SPECIES TO EXTINCTION, THEN AND ONLY THEN SHOULD WE WORRY ABOUT SPECIES THAT WE HAVE LOST.
Rabid conservationists, please flame away. I'll reply, don't you worry.
Re:Big F*cking Deal - Here's why this is not smart (Score:1)
Re:Big F*cking Deal - Here's why this is not smart (Score:2)
Re:Big F*cking Deal - Here's why this is not smart (Score:1)
Re:Big F*cking Deal - Here's why this is not smart (Score:2)
Ressurrecting animals species is a whiz-bang tech demo, but nothing else.
This is a futile exercise. Genetic stochastic effects would drive a small population to extinction.
See my response "Re:False dilemna" to jensend's post "False dilemna" below for a further explanation.
False dilemna (Score:2)
It's true enough that it is no substitute for working to prevent further human-caused extinction, but I doubt anyone seriously thought it would be.
Re:False dilemna (Score:2)
Re:False dilemna (Score:2)
How about some specific examples of money or mindshare which was going to go into preservation of existing species but went into resurrecting extinct species instead? I don't think you have any. The two issues are not connected in those ways. It's like saying "Open source software should not be developed because there are people starving in Africa, and open source efforts are draining m
Megatherium (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Megatherium (Score:1)
Dude, you should see me after a big lunch on a Wednesday... only coffee can change me back to a productive worker.
- StaticLimit
An awesome option (Score:2)
Yeah. Definitely a "dont fuck with me" creature. Able to snap trees in half simply because it couldn't be bothered walking around them. Yep ... want one!
Re:Megatherium (Score:1)
The giant sloth is cool, as with pretty much any animal with the word 'giant' in its name, but personally I've always wanted a pet glyptodon [ucsb.edu]...