In an amazing new science find, a mammoth with living cells in Siberia is discovered, giving hope that that this ancient animal will soon walk again.
According to AU News, a mammoth with living cells is discovered in Siberia that is so well-preserved, it’s raising hopes that this extinct and ancient creature might someday come back to life. Russia’s North-Eastern Federal University stated that an international team of researchers found the mammoth hair, soft tissues and bone marrow as deep as 100 metres underground during a summer expedition in the northeastern province of Yakutia.
According to the expedition chief Semyon Grigoryev, Korean scientists that were with the team had hoped to find living cells in order to someday clone a mammoth. To find a living cell on a creature that old, as woolly mammoths are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago, is extremely difficult as scientists have previously found bones and fragments but never living cells.
While the latest discovery is indeed exciting, Grigoryev stated that more analyzing of the cells is needed in order to confirm that they are in fact living cells. “Only after thorough laboratory research will it be known whether these are living cells or not.” However, if these are in fact living cells, some believe it’s possible to recreate the prehistoric animal if they find living cells in the permafrost.
photo by Francis Latreille
Science News: Mammoth with Living Cells in Siberia is Discovered.
