Tasmanian tiger cloning attempt abandoned

[indigobusiness]

Dang...
---

Tasmanian tiger cloning attempt abandoned

17.02.05
By NICK SQUIRES

Australian scientists have abandoned hopes of resurrecting the extinct Tasmanian tiger through cloning technology.

The project made headlines worldwide when it was announced six years ago, igniting hopes that other long-dead animals such as the woolly mammoth might be brought back to life.

Scientists at the Australian Museum in Sydney hoped to recreate the Tasmanian tiger, also known as a thylacine, by extracting DNA from a number of specimens, including a 139-year-old tiger pup preserved in pure alcohol.

But the museum has been forced to abandon the ambitious project after finding the supply of tiger DNA too poor.

"The thylacine DNA is far too degraded to even construct a DNA library," said museum director Frank Howarth. "The project cannot proceed to the next stage."

snip

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10111371

[On the Road]

1. I'm Disappointed in This

Same story as the wooly mammoth.

Especially given the development of shotgunning DNA (scroll down):

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,37229,00.html

Seems like you could use that method on the fragmented DNA of extinct animals.

[oneighty]

2. Sigh

180

[slutticus]

3. Damn. That sucks.

:(

[NationalEnquirer]

4. Oh what a shame!

Would give hope to some of the extinct species we have killed off.
We need a DNA repository for the current endangered animals.
Anyone know if there is such a thing?

[JitterbugPerfume]

5. I am disappointed

<sigh>

that would have been so cool