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RE: Useless
By JasonMick (blog) on 2/2/2009 8:39:27 AM , Rating: 0
"How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?" -Derek Zoolander

But seriously... you're right, this is a major issue , one which researchers are pondering on. Obviously it would behoove a cloning effort of an endangered species to find as many dead and living specimens to extract DNA or DNA fragments from. However, genetic variety is a tremendous roadblock -- the second largest -- to creating a real-life "Jurassic Park of sorts". The largest obstacle to cloning older species is that DNA typically breaks apart very rapidly, being unrecognizable in many cases within a year, due to its tendency to undergo hydrolysis in the presence of water, breaking DNA strands and fragments into smaller and smaller pieces. (not to mention deamination of bases and other junk... thank you molecular bio)

RE: Useless
By Aloonatic on 2/2/2009 9:55:52 AM , Rating: 3
I think (yes, more guess work from yours truly) that this kind of technology will follow the same sort of arc as potential time travel.

Namely, it is only possible to go backwards from the time that the technology was created forwards :-s.

Basically, the only way that a diverse enough range of DNA samples for extinct animals will be collected is when they are collected from animals before the become extinct, who are on the verge of extinction right now, so that they can be cloned again in the future should current breeding programs fail.

If you catch my drift :-s

RE: Useless
By Schrag4 on 2/2/2009 10:17:12 AM , Rating: 2
"The building will have to be at least, 3 times bigger."

(I'm sure I botched the quote)

RE: Useless
By CascadingDarkness on 2/3/2009 12:15:26 PM , Rating: 2
...DNA typically breaks apart very rapidly...

Duh, that's why we put frog DNA in place of the missing parts.

Jez, was I the only one paying attention during the start of the tour, before everyone got eaten?

