If you can get your hands on a body that still has fur or soft tissue, you’ve got a pretty good shot at a DNA sample, but there is a limit. Longer than that and you run into a barrier. In some cases, like the woolly mammoth, animals preserve themselves, making their DNA available to use thousands of years after their disappearance. Even if not, we can usually get at least portions of a sequence from preserved animals or parts of animals, like museum specimens or pelts. For species which went extinct recently, stored genetic samples may already exist. There are programs all over the world working to build genetic catalogues of living animals for scientists to pull from, in the event that species disappears. Getting ahold of DNA from extinct animals isn’t unheard of, but it isn’t necessarily easy. Sequencing that DNA will take a little time, but even that is getting faster and more affordable. A cotton swab in the cheek or a hair sample is all it takes to get the genetic recipe you’re looking for. Getting viable genetic material from a living thing is easy, all things considered. If we want to build our very own Jurassic Park, we’re first going to need some dino DNA. Thirty years after the release of Jurassic Park, we’re getting closer to realizing Hammond’s dream, but how close are we really? Hunting for Buried Genetic Treasure That’s no small feat today, let alone in 1993. Unless they have magical incubation machines which can organize DNA and build an animal from scratch, that’s the only way we know of to make living genetic copies. Scientists then need a way to get that DNA into a living cell and implanted in a surrogate animal for incubation. Getting the genes is only the first step. RELATED: "Whit Hertford, Jurassic Park's '6-Foot Turkey' Kid, Looks Back on Iconic Role 30 Years Later" In the movie, they achieve that by retrieving DNA from ancient mosquitos preserved in amber. First, they needed to recover viable DNA from a preserved sample. To bring his park to fruition, scientists had to complete a complicated multistep process starting in the dirt and ending with a freshly hatched prehistoric monster. Say what you want about Hammond, but the man had vision, moxie, and a willingness to see things through, no matter the cost. but we're getting closer! Spared No Expense Can we clone dinosaurs, like in Jurassic Park?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |