Mammoth comeback is possible say experts
JOHN VON RADOWITZ

The woolly mammoth could be brought back from extinction using sperm extracted from animals encased in ice.

Researchers have already found that sperm taken from the frozen reproductive organs of dead mice can produce viable offspring.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they suggest that sperm from frozen mammoths could be used to bring the extinct creatures back to life.

The idea would be to inject mammoth sperm, assuming it could be retrieved, into the eggs of female elephants.

A successful pregnancy would produce the closest thing possible to a living woolly mammoth, the result of crossing one of the extinct animals with a close modern-day relative.

Sperm is routinely frozen for IVF treatment, but has to be carefully stored and protected.

The new research showed it is possible simply to freeze whole male mice, or their reproductive organs, and use the sperm extracted from them to produce offspring.

In one test, sperm were retrieved from the bodies of mice that had been kept frozen at minus 20C for 15 years.

Some of the sperm successfully fertilised eggs after being injected into them.

It was not known how long viable sperm could be frozen in animal bodies, the researchers said. But the findings raised the intriguing prospect of resurrecting extinct animals that had remained frozen since the ice age.

[Shadowborn]

I saw a program on Discovery that discussed this, after the last find of a nearly intact specimen in Siberia. The plan would be to breed hybrids using African elephants, then breeding the hybrids. Apparently, they would have nearly full-blooded specimens within...what was it? Four generations?

I'm not sure exactly what the point would be, or where they would keep them. Tundra up in Yukon territory, perhaps?

[ImmortalKain]

I love the thought of being able to go to the zoo and ride the wolly mammoth instead of an elephant. But Shadowborn is right. Where would we keep them? And my thought is... things are extinct for a reason. The Higher Plan and all that.
 
 Anyone besides me not remember the "Frozen Sperm Collection Booth" at job fair??   

What? You missed that one?    It was my favorite one! 

[Kadesh]

 Oh no... Kain applied for that one! We're going to have Wooley Mammoth Vampires! 

[whitefox17]

it really a bad idea ya they taste good and the pronx used for sport hunting but they are realy big (yummy) animals and a bulet isnt going to stop one
its like they dinosaur they're going to make out of a emu but the bad idea is giving it a human intelligence and making it a carnivore the same with the mammoth its going to have the brain of a more intelligent animal which will be vedy bad

[Kadesh]

 Dude... you seriously might want to consider taking a chill pill.... "The Higher Plan" comment was just a joke.

[Kadesh]

 I'm an animal lover myself, but I don't know that much about extinct species. And as for the smilies... I'm an addict! Can't help myself... oh well.

[TheTerror]

humans should not play god

[ImmortalKain]

Humans can only pretend to play god. they have the illusion they are in control of things  I gave up that delusion long ago

[Kadesh]

 But it's good to know you still cling to so many others.   

[ImmortalKain]

Indeed I do 

[TheTerror]

well the illusions need to end

[Kadesh]

 Who said anything about illusions? ..........  I'm pretty sure he can keep whatever delusions he wants to..

[TheTerror]

no humans
thinkin they are god

[Kadesh]

 We weren't talking about that anymore......... Now who's suffering from illusions??