title: Cloning the mammoth: a complicated task or just a dream?
abstract: Recently there has been growing interest in applying the most advanced embryological tools, particularly cloning, to bring extinct species back to life, with a particular focus on the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Mammoth's bodies found in the permafrost are relatively well preserved, with identifiable nuclei in their tissues. The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature published on the topic, and to present the strategies potentially suitable for a mammoth cloning project, with a frank assessment of their feasibility and the ethical issues involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy, ploi@unite.it.
authors.forename: Pasqualino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saragusty
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ptak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D056665:Mammoths / Q000235:genetics*; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial