Mammoth Could Be Brought Back To Life In 4 Years

Researchers will attempt resurrecting the mammoth, a species believed extinct for over 5,000 years, after finally obtaining tissue last summer from a carcass preserved in a Russian mammoth research laboratory.

The team will be led by Professor Akira Iritani, professor emeritus at Kyoto University, notes Physorg.com.

Though the study began in 1997, the researchers were unable to determine how to safely extract DNA until a 2008 experiment by Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama, during which he cloned a mouse that had been in deep freeze for 16 years.

They plan on taking nuclei from the mammoth cells and inserting them into an elephant's egg cells from which the nuclei have been removed. This will create an embryo that contains the mammoth's genes. The embryo will then be inserted into the elephant's womb, and the animal will, hopefully, give birth to a mammoth. According to The Daily Tech, Iritani said:

"The success rate in the cloning of cattle was poor until recently, but now stands at about 30 percent. I think we have a reasonable chance of success and a healthy mammoth could be born in four or five years."

According to PCmag.com, the team will need a working sample of tissue of at least three square centimeters. The team has had trouble in the past because they had only been able to obtain tissue samples from mammoths found in Siberia, which were rendered unusable because of the frost.

The effort has now become a joint one, bringing together the United States (two African elephant researchers), Russia (the head of the Russian mammoth research lab), and Japan (Professors Minoru Miyashita and Akira Iritani).

If everything goes as planned, a mammoth will be born in 4 to 6 years. It will take so long because it will most likely be at least two years before they can impregnate an elephant, and then there will be a 600 day gestation period.

Iritani realizes the potential ramifications of this procedure. He notes, "If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed it and whether to display it to the public. After the mammoth is born, we'll examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."

Mammoths were between 10 to 12 feet tall and weighed from 6 to 8 tons. They are estimated to have gone extinct more than 5,000 years ago, probably due to a combination of the change in climate, hunting, and disease, and remain a symbol of the last ice age.

Tag : Animals, Dinosaurs, Mammoth, Mammoth Clone, Mammoth Cloning, Mammoth Reborn, Mammoth Resurrection, Predict The News, Prediction, Woolly Mammoth, Wooly Mammoth, Wooly Mammoth Cloning, Wooly Mammoth Reborn, Wooly Mammoth Resurrection, Green News

READ MORE - Mammoth Could Be Brought Back To Life In 4 Years

Cute Dog : Smiley Riley does it again

A dog that wowed the world with his distinctly human-like smile a year ago has done it again on his second birthday.

Pictures of Riley the smiling dog at his first birthday party appeared on websites and in newspapers all over the world last year.

Owner Maureen Ravelo, 23, of San Jose, couldn't resist throwing another party for her pet this year - and again recording that famous smile.

Last year, Riley's smile appeared to be oozing satisfaction while this year he seems to be throwing his head back and laughing.

Ms Ravelo said: "Riley always makes faces like this, and that's the best part about him. He gives you a new facial expression every time that you forget he's a dog.

"Ever since he came into my family's life, we've always thought he had oddly human-like features, which have been captured on camera on more than one occasion."

In the picture Riley is about to tuck into a cupcake sprinkled with treats, surrounded by balloons and party decorations.

But one noticeable difference was the absence of the jaunty party hat he wore last year.

Ms Ravelo added: "Yep, no hat. He said big boys don't wear birthday hats. That or he bit me when I tried to put it on him.

"He's a mix of a bichon frise and poodle. His playfulness comes from the bichon part and the attitude from the poodle."

READ MORE - Cute Dog : Smiley Riley does it again

Giant hole opens up behind house

A Chinese family had to leave their home after a giant sinkhole suddenly opened up in their backyard overnight.

The hole is nearly 70ft wide and nobody has so far even been able to measure how deep it is.

Zhang Fengrong, 58, of Leshan, Sichuan province, said he suddenly heard a roaring sound at 2am.

He stepped outside and was amazed to see the giant hole opening up, and getting closer and closer to his house.

At first, it was only 10ft wide, but witjhin 24 hours it had reached it's current size - and the family say they will lose their home if it gets any bigger.

Zhang said he had tried to measure the depth of the pit by letting down first a 130ft rope, then a 200ft rope, but they still hadn't reached the bottom.

"We can hear the sound of water when we stand on the edge of the hole, but when we throw down stones we don't hear them land or splash," he added.

The family are temporarily living in two rooms offered by the village office, and neighbours have helped them move most of their belongings from the house.

READ MORE - Giant hole opens up behind house

Store teaches police politeness

Police officers are being sent to a John Lewis department store - to learn how to be polite to the public.

The move, in Manchester, comes after a survey revealed some officers answered mobiles while talking to people or had inappropriate ring tones.

Superintendent Nadeem Butt from Greater Manchester Police came up with the idea to ask the store for help because its staff are so polite.

He said: "We all know they are fantastic at customer service - anyone who has shopped there will tell you that. I rang them up and said: 'Can we come down and have a look at what you do?'

"The main thing is that John Lewis treats customer service as a skill. You could be the best salesperson in the country but you still have to have regular training."

Officers from Supt Butt's force will receive their politeness training from the John Lewis store in Cheadle, Greater Manchester.

They will be trained to be more professional and considerate when dealing with victims of crime and witnesses.

They are being taught to spend more time listening to people, to keep victims updated on the progress of inquiries and to tell people exactly what happens after a crime is reported.

READ MORE - Store teaches police politeness