Could science clone 12,500-year-old Siberian puppy?
Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 04:05 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 04:24 PM EDT
An ancient dog breed could be brought back to life after well-preserved remains of a prehistoric puppy were found in Siberia in 2015.
The puppy's brains were found remarkably intact after being mummified in soil for 12,500 years, scientists reported this week.
The researchers have thawed the ancient pup, that was found buried in what was likely a landslide in the Ust-Yansky district of northeast Russia.
They believe it might have been a sibling of another puppy found in 2011 only metres away. The dogs were likely wild, but could have been domesticated.
Scientists are particularly excited about the pup's intact brain -- believed to be the oldest ever found of a predator.
"The degree of preservation is about 70% to 80%," Dr. Pavel Nikolsky, research fellow at Moscow's Geological Institute, told The Siberian Times. "We will be able to say more precisely after it is extracted. For now we can see it on MRI scans. Of course, it has dried out somewhat, but the both parencephalon, cerebellum and pituitary gland are visible."
Controversial Hwang Woo-suk, who is also working on cloning a woolly mammoth, joined the researchers in the autopsy. He took some samples, and was reportedly "excited" with the find.
Scientists perform an autopsy on a mummified 12,500-year-old prehistoric puppy. (YouTube/Screengrab)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=47-dllA69AY
Could science clone 12,500-year-old Siberian puppy? | World | News | Toronto Sun
Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 04:05 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 04:24 PM EDT
An ancient dog breed could be brought back to life after well-preserved remains of a prehistoric puppy were found in Siberia in 2015.
The puppy's brains were found remarkably intact after being mummified in soil for 12,500 years, scientists reported this week.
The researchers have thawed the ancient pup, that was found buried in what was likely a landslide in the Ust-Yansky district of northeast Russia.
They believe it might have been a sibling of another puppy found in 2011 only metres away. The dogs were likely wild, but could have been domesticated.
Scientists are particularly excited about the pup's intact brain -- believed to be the oldest ever found of a predator.
"The degree of preservation is about 70% to 80%," Dr. Pavel Nikolsky, research fellow at Moscow's Geological Institute, told The Siberian Times. "We will be able to say more precisely after it is extracted. For now we can see it on MRI scans. Of course, it has dried out somewhat, but the both parencephalon, cerebellum and pituitary gland are visible."
Controversial Hwang Woo-suk, who is also working on cloning a woolly mammoth, joined the researchers in the autopsy. He took some samples, and was reportedly "excited" with the find.
Scientists perform an autopsy on a mummified 12,500-year-old prehistoric puppy. (YouTube/Screengrab)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=47-dllA69AY
Could science clone 12,500-year-old Siberian puppy? | World | News | Toronto Sun