The First Ever Fossilized Chromosomes Came from a Freeze-Dried Mammoth
Scientific AmericanJul 18
Scientists Reconstruct Wooly Mammoth's Genetic Code
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The Facts
Using the frozen carcass of a 52K-year-old wooly mammoth found in the Siberian permafrost, scientists have been able to reconstruct the entire genetic code of the ancient animal by using the still-intact, three-dimensional chromosomes of its skin.
Previously, the old way of extracting DNA from fossils, according to a geneticist who reviewed the study, only produced "short fragments" of a "four-letter molecular alphabet," which is A (adenine), G (guanine), C (cytosine), T (thymine).
The Spin
Narrative A
Now that we know that dehydrated fossils can be turned into near-perfect DNA replicas, scientists may be able to do the same for ancient Egyptian mummies or other long-lost animals. Given time, this information may also lead to the revival of extinct animals, or at the very least ones similar to those of ancient times.
Narrative B
While novel genome sequencing technology provides incredible insight into the evolution and history of animals, that doesn't mean they can be completely de-extinct. Using a modern-day elephant to produce some sort of reincarnated wooly mammoth may be possible, but that would bring up ethical issues surrounding using animals for such experiments.
