Russian scientists make rare find of 'blood' in mammoth
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Russian scientists claimed Wednesday they have discovered blood in the carcass of a woolly mammoth, adding that the rare find could boost their chances of cloning the prehistoric animal.
An expedition led by Russian scientists earlier this month uncovered the well-preserved carcass of a female mammoth on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean.
Semyon Grigoryev, the head of the expedition, said the animal died at the age of around 60 some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, and that it was the first time that an old female had been found.
But what was more surprising was that the carcass was so well preserved that it still had blood and muscle tissue.
"When we broke the ice beneath her stomach, the blood flowed out from there, it was very dark," Grigoryev, who is a scientist at the Yakutsk-based Northeastern Federal University, told AFP.
"This is the most astonishing case in my entire life. How was it possible for it to remain in liquid form? And the muscle tissue is also red, the colour of fresh meat," he added.
Grigoryev said that the lower part of the carcass was very well preserved as it ended up in a pool of water that later froze over. The upper part of the body including the back and the head are believed to have been eaten by predators, he added.
"The forelegs and the stomach are well preserved, while the hind part has become a skeleton."
The discovery, Grigoryev said, gives new hope to researchers in their quest to bring the woolly mammoth back to life.
"This find gives us a really good chance of finding live cells which can help us implement this project to clone a mammoth," he said.
"Previous mammoths have not had such well-preserved tissue."
Last year, Grigoryev's Northeastern Federal University signed a deal with cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, who in 2005 created the world's first cloned dog.
In the coming months, mammoth specialists from South Korea, Russia and the United States are expected to study the remains which the Russian scientists are now keeping at an undisclosed northern location.
"I won't say where it is being kept or it may get stolen," he said.
Last year, a teenager from a nomadic family in Russia's north stumbled upon a massive well-preserved woolly mammoth, in what scientists described as the best such discovery since 1901.
The young male mammoth was dubbed Zhenya after the nickname of the boy who discovered it.
Global warming has thawed ground in northern Russia that is usually almost permanently frozen, leading to the discoveries of a number of mammoth remains.
An expedition led by Russian scientists earlier this month uncovered the well-preserved carcass of a female mammoth on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean.
Semyon Grigoryev, the head of the expedition, said the animal died at the age of around 60 some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, and that it was the first time that an old female had been found.
But what was more surprising was that the carcass was so well preserved that it still had blood and muscle tissue.
"When we broke the ice beneath her stomach, the blood flowed out from there, it was very dark," Grigoryev, who is a scientist at the Yakutsk-based Northeastern Federal University, told AFP.
"This is the most astonishing case in my entire life. How was it possible for it to remain in liquid form? And the muscle tissue is also red, the colour of fresh meat," he added.
Grigoryev said that the lower part of the carcass was very well preserved as it ended up in a pool of water that later froze over. The upper part of the body including the back and the head are believed to have been eaten by predators, he added.
"The forelegs and the stomach are well preserved, while the hind part has become a skeleton."
The discovery, Grigoryev said, gives new hope to researchers in their quest to bring the woolly mammoth back to life.
"This find gives us a really good chance of finding live cells which can help us implement this project to clone a mammoth," he said.
"Previous mammoths have not had such well-preserved tissue."
Last year, Grigoryev's Northeastern Federal University signed a deal with cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, who in 2005 created the world's first cloned dog.
In the coming months, mammoth specialists from South Korea, Russia and the United States are expected to study the remains which the Russian scientists are now keeping at an undisclosed northern location.
"I won't say where it is being kept or it may get stolen," he said.
Last year, a teenager from a nomadic family in Russia's north stumbled upon a massive well-preserved woolly mammoth, in what scientists described as the best such discovery since 1901.
The young male mammoth was dubbed Zhenya after the nickname of the boy who discovered it.
Global warming has thawed ground in northern Russia that is usually almost permanently frozen, leading to the discoveries of a number of mammoth remains.
Comments
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Good ? . We should clone the mammoths just so we can ? them all over again.
Rinse and repeat. -
Sweet! In a few more decades will be getting to the good stuff.
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We gonna have some mammoths and sabre tooths running around on some conan ? here soon
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I can't wait for the McMammoth Burger
I'm expecting it to ? on the McRib & McKangaroo -
I want a pet mammoth.
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I want a liopleurodon to be cloned
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Once they get enough mammoths to get them off the indangered species list someone should organize a hunting party. No guns though, just spears and bows and arrows.
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Exactly what the world needs, just so ? like Birdman could be talkin' bout "this mammoth fur ya' dig"
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Once they get enough mammoths to get them off the indangered species list someone should organize a hunting party. No guns though, just spears and bows and arrows.
That's how we should choose our leaders. Campaigns are boring... whoever kills the mammoth gets to lead for 4 years.
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these ? gonna ? around and create a hybrid human eater.
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Gold_Certificate wrote: »Good ? . We should clone the mammoths just so we can ? them all over again.
Rinse and repeat. -
RodrigueZz wrote: »
televise that ? too -
RodrigueZz wrote: »
Have sabre tooths eating a random muthafucka here and there. A whole ancient army and ? fighting. ? I'm coming up with a sequel to 10,000 B.C.
2025 A.D. -
@kai_valya how far are from humans putting snake and plant dna in them like orochimaru
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Job 12:7-10
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
http://youtu.be/a_hgCM8XZkk -
The user and all related content has been deleted.
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Be on the lookout for this ? :
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then that ? wasn't dead!!!
just waiting to thaw the ? out!
Human: damn, it's dead!
Mammoth: nah, I'm just chillin' -
RodrigueZz wrote: »
Have sabre tooths eating a random muthafucka here and there. A whole ancient army and ? fighting. ? I'm coming up with a sequel to 10,000 B.C.
2025 A.D.
Sounds like exactly what this new soft ass generation needs -
Mammoths ain't goin for that ? ? in the 21st Century
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No thank you let them ? stay dead.
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man thats a great find forreal
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Jurassic park here we come ..
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If I ever saw a velociraptor in real life...I'd prolly ? myself, cuh...