MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- The carcass of a woolly mammoth has been discovered on an island in the arctic seas of eastern Russia and is so well-preserved that blood was flowing freely from the ancient animal which became extinct thousands of years ago, Russian scientists announced on Thursday.

Members of a paleontological expedition of the North-Eastern Federal University made the discovery earlier this month during a visit to the Lyakhovsky Islands, part of the New Siberian Islands in the arctic seas of eastern Russia. It is believed the carcass is between 10,000 and 15,000 years old, and the animal itself is estimated to have been about 50 to 60 years old when it died.

Semyon Grigoriev, the head of the expedition, said the soft tissues of the animal are almost ideal, with only the upper part of the body, head and left hind leg skeletonized. "The fragments of muscle tissues, which we've found out of the body, have a natural red color of fresh meat," he said.

The scientists said the carcass of the animal - a female - is so well preserved because the lower part of the body was underlying in pure ice while the upper part of the body was found in the middle of tundra. "We found a trunk separately from the body, which is the worst-preserved part," Grigoriev said.

But perhaps one of the most stunning findings was the discovery of blood, which some scientists claim may be crucial in their efforts to clone the extinct animal and bring it back to life. "The blood is very dark, it was found in ice cavities bellow the belly and when we broke these cavities with a poll pick, the blood came running out," Grigoriev said.

The temperature at the time of excavation was about 7 to 10 degrees Celsius (44.6 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit), which could possibly indicate that the blood of mammoths had cryoprotective properties. "The researchers collected the samples of the animal's blood in tubes with a special preservative agent," Grigoriev added.

Samples from the carcass have been taken to the Russian city of Yakutsk for bacterial examination in order to detect causative agents of potentially dangerous infections. A group of Russian and international scientists is expected to visit Yakutsk in July to further study the findings.

In October 2012, Australian scientists revealed that bonds in a DNA strand could survive up to 6.8 million years under ideal conditions. While it rules out the possibility of one day cloning dinosaurs as shown in the popular film "Jurassic Park," it may suggest that extinct animals from the more recent past - such as woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers - may one day be cloned.

The woolly mammoth became extinct about 10,000 years ago, but it is believed small populations of the animal may have lived on Russia's Wrangel Island as recent as 4,000 years ago.

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Though a bit creepy, wouldn't it be amazing to 'create' a mammoth from this

Though a bit creepy, wouldn't it be amazing to 'create' a mammoth from this

Jurassic Park going through your head is it ?

This is freaky.

This is freaky.

Not for Russians. They had been digging them up for years. Just in the good old times the frozen beasts were eaten...

Though a bit creepy, wouldn't it be amazing to 'create' a mammoth from this

Not possible in Russia. Their Genetics advances started and stopped on Lysenko in 1930th.

To actually recreate a mammoth some Russian must have sex with this frozen carcass. Mmm...

Edited May 31, 201313 yr by ABCer

Though a bit creepy, wouldn't it be amazing to 'create' a mammoth from this

Jurassic Park going through your head is it ?

Haha - exactly

OK, so maybe they CAN clone this animal.

WHY? Just for fun? A zoo attraction?

A new attraction for the CM Zoo?

To be clear, I am for scientific research.

I am just wondering what humanity hopes to gain from reviving long extinct species.

Edited May 31, 201313 yr by Jingthing

Science has a lot to gain by reviving long extinct species. We can learn a great deal about how they actually lived, their characteristics, how they react to different stimuli etc. We might learn a lot about diseases and disease resistance.

The difficulty is that such an exercise would likely be looked at as much for its commercial value as for it's scientific one and that could be a bit of a Pandora's Box.

Here may be a good reason:

To be clear, I am for scientific research.

I am just wondering what humanity hopes to gain from reviving long extinct species.

. . . but then they're extinct and we're not

I think it would be way cool to revive an extinct species! One which we pushed over the brink to extinction so long ago.

I think most of us can't wait to see a mammoth cloned, there are some ethical questions to be sure, indeed should we ever find a neanderthal similarly preserved I wonder what would be done.

I think it would be way cool to revive an extinct species! One which we pushed over the brink to extinction so long ago.

I don't think humans are to blame for the mammoth extinction . . .

There are two widely held beliefs about the cause of the extinction of the Mammoth. One is climate change and the other is hunting by early man. Most scientists believe it is a combination of the two.

Nope. They were sold to Vietnam by the dog meat sellers.

The DNA has to be in very good condition for cloning. Time, as I understand it, degrades DNA. Even though the remains may be in very good condition, it does not mean that cloning is possible.

It should also be noted that DNA is only found in white blood cells, since red blood cells have no nucleus. Unless, of course, Mammoth blood is different.

Tastes like chicken?

Tastes like chicken?

I shall await the first McMammoth burgers to go on sale.

Tastes like chicken?

I shall await the first McMammoth burgers to go on sale.

So much for the hope that cloning might be for scientific endeavors and not for commercial interests.

Not sure reintroduction of long extinct animals is wise. Perhaps there is an evolutionary reason why they are extinct.

Don't F with mother nature may have some validity. Still freaky to see blood from an animal that old in a clip I saw on a air port terminal news loop last night.

You are correct, but I don't think that being able to clone a single animal would be considered reintroduction of a species. There would be no genetic diversity and thus natural reproduction of the species would be pretty close to impossible.

Let's not tell Steely Dan, Jingthing or the Chinese that the Mammoth might be edible.

Science has a lot to gain by reviving long extinct species. We can learn a great deal about how they actually lived, their characteristics, how they react to different stimuli etc. We might learn a lot about diseases and disease resistance.

The difficulty is that such an exercise would likely be looked at as much for its commercial value as for it's scientific one and that could be a bit of a Pandora's Box.

studying on epidemiology based on cloned extinct species are potentially a double edged sword. a viral mutation mishandled could be very deadly. besides a properly handled accidental viral mutation under labs in any form would be a love subject for any military.

and that is getting past much of the issues such as telometric differences, top of that we are speaking of a old dna strand. and we dont even fully understood dna. factors such as benefits from epidemiology studies based on live extinct species just doesnt exist at this stage and further than a practical wormhole

You are correct, but I don't think that being able to clone a single animal would be considered reintroduction of a species. There would be no genetic diversity and thus natural reproduction of the species would be pretty close to impossible.

Let's not tell Steely Dan, Jingthing or the Chinese that the Mammoth might be edible.

More importantly, Mammoth hair, gall bladders and toenails do not work like Viagra.

Edited May 31, 201313 yr by impulse

Science has a lot to gain by reviving long extinct species. We can learn a great deal about how they actually lived, their characteristics, how they react to different stimuli etc. We might learn a lot about diseases and disease resistance.

The difficulty is that such an exercise would likely be looked at as much for its commercial value as for it's scientific one and that could be a bit of a Pandora's Box.

studying on epidemiology based on cloned extinct species are potentially a double edged sword. a viral mutation mishandled could be very deadly. besides a properly handled accidental viral mutation under labs in any form would be a love subject for any military.

and that is getting past much of the issues such as telometric differences, top of that we are speaking of a old dna strand. and we dont even fully understood dna. factors such as benefits from epidemiology studies based on live extinct species just doesnt exist at this stage and further than a practical wormhole

Even though I by no means have a real clue or am an infectious disease specialist, that was my concern. Genetic adaption and immunity now may provide no protection to viral and bacterial issues 17,000 years ago, but I have no idea how that works at a genetic sequencing level over time.

US millitary labs are apparently careful and cautious on these issue. Russian labs . . . I can see a couple of night lab guards carrying a large bottle of vodka saying hey Sergie, check this out . . . Russians can be a bit like the old Abbott and Costello shows and I can say this lovingly as I married to one.

That's an interesting concept, but I think the cloning process would not bring with it either bacteria or viruses from a bygone era. There is probably a bigger danger of unleashing those from the frozen carcass.

If they were to clone this animal, it most likely would have very little immunity to our modern bacteria and viruses.

Tastes like chicken?

Thats what a lady at Nana Plaza once told me !

To be clear, I am for scientific research.

I am just wondering what humanity hopes to gain from reviving long extinct species.

The British did this years back - Margaret Thatcher! And you correct that there is usually a downside.

Mammoth DNA was reassembled from the remains of several fossils years ago, as is the Neanderthal's. Rest assured there are experiments on embryos going on right now, not necessarily to bring them back, but for other research.

I think most of us can't wait to see a mammoth cloned, there are some ethical questions to be sure, indeed should we ever find a neanderthal similarly preserved I wonder what would be done.

Perhaps it would be allowed to register on this forum in order to introduce a little intelligence. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not referring to you!