Batu69 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Boffins hope to bring prehistoric big cats back from extinction Cave lions were once common across the world until becoming extinct about 10,000 years ago SCIENTISTS in Russia are trying to clone an Ice Age cave lion after finding two near-perfectly preserved cubs. The prehistoric big cats were found last year in the Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia, where the freezing temperatures kept them in good condition. Dr Albert Protopopov, head of the mammoth fauna studies department of the Yakutian Academy of Sciences, said the cubs were found “complete with all their body parts – fur, ears, soft tissue and even whiskers”. Researchers at the Russian-South Korean project – the Joint Foundation of Molecular Paleontology at North East Russia University – hope they can extract enough DNA from the remains to recreate the extinct animals. One of the team members, Semyon Grigoriev, is also working on cloning a woolly mammoth using the same process. Dr Protopopov said he believed the cubs were only a week or two old and may have perished after being hidden in a cave by their mother to protect them from hungry lions. He added: "This find, beyond any doubt, is sensational." One of the cubs will be used to attempt cloning, while the other is destined for a museum. Researchers are due to return to the cave where they were found this summer to search for the remains of more cubs, or even a lioness. Article source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallon Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 On 3/6/2016 at 3:09 AM, Batu69 said: One of the team members, Semyon Grigoriev, is also working on cloning a woolly mammoth using the same process. Researchers debate science, ethics of cloning wooly mammoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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