Tasmanian Tiger Story Scientists have claimed a "major breakthrough" they hope might lead to the birth of the first cloned Tasmanian Tiger pup within a decade. Three years into a Jurassic Park-style project to bring the species back from extinction, they have successfully replicated "high quality" Tasmanian Tiger DNA which they believe should work in a living cell. The next stage is to to make large quantity copies of all the animal's genes so they can be used to construct synthetic chromosomes. After that they plan to find a suitable host - probably a large marsupial such as a Tasmanian devil or a numbat - then fertilise the host and "cross their fingers". If the cloning is successful, they believe it could be the scientific springboard to revive other extinct species. Ultimately they hope to breed a genetically varied population of Tasmanian Tigers capable of living in their natural habitat. "If we didn't think that (was possible) we would be wasting our time," said Professor Mike Archer, director of the Australian Museum. "I would like to think it (a cloned pup) can happen in 10 years," he said. "But we're following in no-one's footsteps. We have no idea what's out there. It's terra incognito. "I would give anything - I would give any portion of my anatomy - to pat one of these animals in my lifetime." After 50 million years of evolution, humans hunted the Tasmanian Tiger to extinction within 50 years. The last tiger, known as a Thylacine, died 66 years ago. But Prof Archer said undamaged DNA had been extracted from a "pickled female pup" preserved in ethanol as well as two other male specimens found in the museum's collection. DNA was extracted from bone, tooth, bone marrow and dried muscle. A process known as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) had made molecular cloning possible, he said. "The supposedly dead DNA we have recovered is reacting in exactly the way live DNA does," he told reporters. "We are crossing thresholds people told us would be impossible to cross. "An impossible dream has become a giant step closer to biological reality." The project has stirred ethical debate about the merits of recreating a species which has no family or mate, and a dwindling natural environment in which to be reintroduced. Some Biblical fundamentalists have accused scientists of "playing God", but Prof Archer said the project aimed to redress man's immoral actions in wilfully exterminating a species. ------------------------------------------ I know there has been a lot of talk on this board addressing the issue of cloning, but is this type of cloning any different to what has already been discussed? We wiped out the Tassie Tiger for killing our sheep and cattle, so you really can't say they (Tassie Tigers) died of natural selection, can you? Personally, I think it would be great to see a Tassie Tiger in Melbourne Zoo in the distant future. And in the past 3 years, only A$300,000 has been spent trying to clone them. If you want to see one of the few pictures of a Tasmanian Tiger,click here.
What an unsettling statement. If we can't give them their natural habitat, then we've got no business bringing them back from the dead.
wow. I don't know what to say. We are on new ground. My belief is that cloning is part of the evolutionary process. If the human species is bright enough to bring back another species then so be it. Nature willed it. Whatever animals are brought back, they will find a way to adapt to the new environment or perish once again.
I didn't mean 'let's just clone them so we can put them in our zoos'. I would love to see them be released back into the wild, it might even reduce our rabbit and fox populations (which is a good thing).
"you were so busy trying to see if you could do it, you never stopped to think if you should." -- Jeff Goldblum in Jurrasic Park
Here is a good reason why you would not want to do this. This is a little history on Nutria rats that were brought to the US a little over a hundred years ago for fur trading purposes. They were once a protected species, now they are wildlife public enemy number one. History on how they were brought to the US: http://lamer.lsu.edu/topics/exotics/nutria1.htm Economical Impact: http://lamer.lsu.edu/topics/exotics/nutria2.htm
This reminds me of a movie I once saw. I think it was called, "The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down". Anyway: You don't want a couple as housepets...?
I heard they were seriously trying to bring back the DoDo Bird too. That would be pretty cool seeing ancient creatures. Maybe they bring back the T-rex next?
I believe there is a theoretical limit to how "ancient" something can be and still survive. Although Jurassic Park was interesting, the cloned dinosaurs would have had the same immune systems from 80 and 100 million years ago. They would not likely survive very long with the germs and viruses which exist today.
