Mammoth task: Scientists map DNA of ancient beast
November 20, 2008
SETH BORENSTEIN The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Bringing “Jurassic Park” one step closer to reality, scientists have deciphered much of the genetic code of the woolly mammoth, a feat they say could allow them to recreate the shaggy, prehistoric beast in as little as a decade or two. The project marks the first time researchers have spelled out the DNA of an extinct species, and it raised the possibility that other ancient animals such as mastodons and sabertooth tigers might someday walk the Earth again. “It could be done. The question is, just because we might be able to do it one day, should we do it?” asked Stephan Schuster, a Penn State University biochemist and co-author of the new…
