Ten Extinct Beasts That Could Walk The Earth Again

News Scientist ^ | 1/07/2009 | Staff Writers

[ex-Texan]

THE recipe for making any creature is written in its DNA. So last November, when geneticists published the near-complete DNA sequence of the long-extinct woolly mammoth, there was much speculation about whether we could bring this behemoth back to life.

Creating a living, breathing creature from a genome sequence that exists only in a computer's memory is not possible right now. But someone someday is sure to try it, predicts Stephan Schuster, a molecular biologist at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, and a driving force behind the mammoth genome project.

So besides the mammoth, what other extinct beasts might we coax back to life?

Well, it is only going to be possible with creatures for which we can retrieve a complete genome sequence. Without one, there is no chance. And usually when a creature dies, the DNA in any flesh left untouched is soon destroyed as it is attacked by sunshine and bacteria.

There are, however, some circumstances in which DNA can be preserved. If your specimen froze to death in an icy wasteland such as Siberia, or snuffed it in a dark cave or a really dry region, for instance, then the probability of finding some intact stretches of DNA is much higher. * * *

Of course, bringing extinct creatures back to life raises a whole host of practical problems, such as where they will live, but let's not spoil the fun . . .

For Details About These Beasts Click Here

They inlcude the Sabre-Toothed Tiger and Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) . . .

[wintertime]

They inlcude the Sabre-Toothed Tiger and Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) . . .
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

OOO...I can see it now! Cool saber tooth designer pets!

Neaderthal man....Now that would be an abomination.

[Peelod]

I vote for the Dodo and the Giant Beaver!

so did Aeneas.

[Abathar]

No limit, but you have to pack it out on foot...

[Maceman]

It seems that Keynesians should be on the list, although they have already been resurrected, and appear to have multiplied rapidly.

[Flycatcher]

Oh... you’re bad! Clever, but bad...

[gargoyle]

...Good, I thought it was just me...

...It’s Ok. I’m working on it every day...

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Which Aeneas?

Aeneas Silvius, mythological king of Alba Longa
Aeneas Tacticus (fl. 4th century BC), Greek writer
Aeneas of Gaza (fl. 5th century AD), philosopher
Modern
Aeneas de Caprara (1631-1701), Austrian field marshall
Aeneas Chigwedere (b. 1939), Zimbabwean politician
Aeneas Coffey (1780-1852), inventor of the Coffey still
Æneas baron Mackay (1839-1909), prime minister of the Netherlands
Æneas Shaw (c.1740–1814), soldier and politician of Upper Canada
Aeneas Williams (b. 1968), U.S. athlete
Ships

[Inappropriate Laughter]

An "abomination"?

[wintertime]

laughing and laughing!

[gimme1ibertee]

LOL!I do believe she would! :P

[Peelod]

The once and future pius Aeneas.

[WillVoteForFood]

Can we bring back the Andrewsarchus? Then maybe I wouldn't get such a bad rap.

signed,
pit bull

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Ah! The time traveler Aeneas! Gotcha.

[Texican]

Ex-Texan
First, there is no such thing as an ex Texan. Former Texan yes.
My selection for bringing back would be the Passenger Pigeon. There use to be millions of them, in fact some reports said that the sun would be blocked out just from the flight of them.

The very best to you and yours.
Semper Fi
Texican

[Otho]

I vote for the Tasmanian Tiger. Went extinct in the 1930s. There are specimens preserved in alcohol.

[null and void]

Someday, they will figure out how to make a living couch. It will be soft, warm and furry and able to survive on nothing more than butt sweat and the crumbs that fall between the cushions.

Ping

[BJClinton]

I guess my plans to buy some land in the northwest territories and start a mammoth ranch aren’t so crazy after all.

[Darksheare]

[Neidermeyer]

Can we bring back Dorothy Stratten?

[stanz]

The most current mass extinction was the GOP.

[TexasRepublic]

Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) may stalk the streets of Detroit after they escape from laboratories.

I think that has already happened.

[SunkenCiv]

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve

Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

[SunkenCiv]

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[Antoninus]

I know science is evil right??

No, science is morally neutral. The problem is, too many scientists are morally reprobate these days.

[RikaStrom]

Uhmm.... just a teensy, weensy, ity bit. :-)

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Not on the list—A passenger Pigeon. We have the last ones who died in 1924 frozen. They were said to be good eating—thats why they are extinct. Raise them and sell them to restaurants. I would pay for a passenger pigeon pie.

[Battle Axe]

They were added as earmarked earmarks.

[Max in Utah]

I vote for the Dodo and the Giant Beaver!

I've encountered both and frankly, I'm not interested.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“I vote for the Dodo and the Giant Beaver!
I’ve encountered both and frankly, I’m not interested.”

Well,,, I’d pay good money to eat a Dodo burger. But,,, the Giant Beaver???? No way!

[ApplegateRanch]

10?

Dragons, Elves, Ents, Andorans; Tribbles, Eewoks, unicorns, Cyclops, Conservatives, non-violent Muslims...naw; that last one is a fictional creature

[Domestic Church]

“The Volkswagen Beetle-sized “colossal” armadillo, with its spiky, club-like tail, once rumbled across the South American countryside, and some might fancy seeing it do so again.”

This would work well for border patrol.

[Redcitizen]

January 20th, an extinct Beast will come back to life; the Clinton Administration.

[Knitebane]

Finally an armadillo that will be able to cross the road.

Pshaw.

Just contact the Lone Star Beer Company. I believe they know where the giant armadillo is.

[calex59]

I’d pay to see a live woolly mammoth

Why would you? They were just big hairy Elephants. Except for the fur coat and longer tusks they were basically the same. Now, if you are talking T-Rex I might pay to see one but it had better be contained very well indeed.

On the serious side, I think we should leave well enough alone, there is a reason these animals are extinct and it isn't because humans killed them off.

[wildbill]

Armadillo tastes like chicken. Really it does. Too bad they carry leprosy.

[wildbill]

we alrady have Neanderthals. Predominant characteristic is red hair. The Scots.

And we want your cattle and lassies.

[Elle Bee]

anyone have any Ronald Reagan DNA?

.

[wildbill]

I thought of the passenger pidgeon also. MMMMMM> pidgeon pie was a delicacy often mentioned in early American journals.

[Larry Lucido]

Replace “scientist” with “churchgoer” and the statement remains equally true.

Just saying.

[aruanan]

Even if the specimen is dried or frozen, depurination leads to a DNA sequence that is impossible to reconstruct with certainty. Trying to go from that reconstructed DNA to a living organism is pretty unlikely.

From this source: The production of authentic ancient DNA sequences is plagued by five major difficulties that we will discuss in this chapter. These are (i) polymerase errors resulting from experimental conditions and/or inhibitors of the fossil extract, (ii) modification of ancient DNA sequences carrying miscoding lesions, (iii) contamination by modern DNA (including products of previous PCR and cloning reactions), (iv) modification of contaminant DNA (i.e., DNA of more recent origin that has been modified by natural processes or decontamination procedures such as UV irradiation and/or treatment with bleach), (v) production by jumping PCR of chimeric PCR products between depurinated “fossil” DNA fragments, possibly of a different origin, and contaminating modern DNA molecules.

See also McMaster Ancient DNA Centre.

[Grizzled Bear]

A Detroit Lion who actually knows how to play football?

No. You can only recover DNA from creatures that once existed.