Nearly complete Wooly mammoth remains were discovered in March 2005 in Moorpark California. The very old mammoth was found in a housing development in the foothills of Moorpark and is thought to be an extremely rare species known as a Mammuthus meridionalis. A group of scientists have began the Mammoth Creation Project in hopes of taking DNA out of a Wooly mammoth specimen and inseminating a modern elephant, resulting in an animal that is 88% mammoth. It has been estimated that a creature like this could exist within the next fifty years. The main obstacle to overcome is the retrieval of viable DNA or sperm from a Wooly mammoth specimen.
If the Wooly mammoth species can be somewhat resurrected, some scientists have began to speculate as to where these creatures would live. One idea is to make a preserve in the northern parts of Siberia known as “Pleistocene Park”. This fascinating place would contain Wooly rhinoceroses, Saber-toothed cats, previously extinct deer and mammoths- if it were possible to bring these species back with DNA recovery. Unfortunately, using a surrogate modern elephant or other species to bring a mammoth or saber-tooth cat into the world would only result in creatures similar to the extinct animals. |
