Reviving Frozen Mammoth Spermatozoa

Yesterday (Aug. 14, 2006) in an AP report, a Dr. Atsuo Ogura of the Riken Bioresource Center in Ibaraki, Japan was interviewed about the possibility of reviving frozen Mammoth spermatozoa and using them to fertilize eggs of a related species (e.g. the modern elephant).

What happened to the mammoth revival?

What happened to the mammoth revival. In a somewhat related topic, some Japanese researcher(s) reported that they were attempting to clone some preserved mammoth tissue? What has happened to this program?

Also, I discovered on the National Geographic website that research into some preserved genetic material from Mammuthus primigenius that they (researchers) had determined the actual color of the coat of the animal. The animal came in two coat colors. One was dark brown or black and the other was a pale, neutral ginger coloration. The purpose of the color coat variation can't be described. Your author speculates that the light color coat provided camouflage in a wintry habitat and the dark coat in another type of habitat.

Intact Dodo Bones Discovered

Recent reports have been circulating (as some of you are probably aware) of a significant find. Perfectly preserved dodo bird bones have been unearthed by a research team from the London Natural History Museum while digging in Mauritius. Its not clear to your author if the find is a complete skeleton or not, but several bones and types of bones have been found. No reports as to any further findings as yet. As the bones are reported to be perfectly preserved - one of you may want to contact Dr. Hume (the research associate responsible) for further information. It is reported that a similar discovery was made last year in the same location by the expedition.

Bring Back The Dodo!

Updated 1/16/2008: Moa hunting resumes after fresh 'evidence' (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4349366a6568.html)

Yes, like S. Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" is it time to bring back extinct animals that might be more viable and feasible to clone?

That's right. Let's clone the Dodo - assuming viable DNA material can be obtained from the world's existing partial specimens.

Also, it seems morally right to bring back the Dodo (and other extinct gems of the bird world, see below) as its passing was probably mostly due to human predation and interference with its habitat.

Can we set up a kind of a Paleornithologic Park to address habitat concerns for the recently revived Dodo and other previously extinct birds?

What bird watcher wouldn't give up his or her (insert body part selection here _______) to view live Dodo birds, once-extinct moas, elephant birds, Great Auks and the like in a special sanctuary set up on the Galapagos, Mauritius, or some other select location with an environment habitable by all of these cloned, once-extinct species.

Even armchair naturalists, such as myself, would be thrilled at the opportunity to view - in the wild, in a naturalistic park setting, somewhere in the world - live Dodo birds and the like!

Bring them back. Bring back the Great Auk, too. Assuming viable DNA material can be obtained and successfully cloned for the Paleornithogic Park.

And moas, and elephantbirds, too. The mind thrills at the possibility.