Scientists clone an ibex! (ibex species is extint, they made one!)

**smartboyathome** · February 7th, 2009

You guys do know that dinosaurs wouldn't be able to survive in our current climate, don't you? You would have to keep them in a room with more oxygen than normal, since oxygen levels in the Jurrasic was much higher than today, and thus animals were able to get bigger then.

**MarblePanther** · February 7th, 2009

Originally Posted by smartboyathome

You guys do know that dinosaurs wouldn't be able to survive in our current climate, don't you? You would have to keep them in a room with more oxygen than normal, since oxygen levels in the Jurrasic was much higher than today, and thus animals were able to get bigger then.

Climate controlled cages? They wouldn't be left to roam free (hopefully.

**MikeTheC** · February 7th, 2009

How is it that the Jurrasic period would have more oxygen than today? It seems that the longer the planet has had plants performing photosynthesis, the more oxygen you'd get. All the scientists I've ever heard of (and those few I've spoken to) have all agreed that Earth did not initially have an oxygenated atmosphere. In fact, it's generally agreed upon (from what I understand) that life had to adapt to having oxygen in the atmosphere.

If anything, I would expect dinosaurs to have problems dealing with the increase, not decrease, in oxygen levels.

**phrostbyte** · February 7th, 2009

Originally Posted by MikeTheC

How is it that the Jurrasic period would have more oxygen than today? It seems that the longer the planet has had plants performing photosynthesis, the more oxygen you'd get. All the scientists I've ever heard of (and those few I've spoken to) have all agreed that Earth did not initially have an oxygenated atmosphere. In fact, it's generally agreed upon (from what I understand) that life had to adapt to having oxygen in the atmosphere.

If anything, I would expect dinosaurs to have problems dealing with the increase, not decrease, in oxygen levels.

It seems millions of years ago there was more oxygen then there was now (more plant life?). Apparently huge bugs could exist.

**xc1024** · February 8th, 2009

I would rather bet on high amount of CO2 in atmosphere. It would support plants' photosynthesis process and make them grow bigger and spread more. And I think that huge bugs could exist because there was much more food back then (lots of plants).

**chris200x9** · February 8th, 2009

I cannot see this saving anything, sorry to say. Cloning extinct and endangered animals is just plain stupid, sure you can increase the numbers but can you increase the genetic diversity? No (at least not with cloning as we know it) So what you end up with is a slightly larger population that is VERY inbred.

**eragon100** · February 8th, 2009

Originally Posted by chris200x9

I cannot see this saving anything, sorry to say. Cloning extinct and endangered animals is just plain stupid, sure you can increase the numbers but can you increase the genetic diversity? No (at least not with cloning as we know it) So what you end up with is a slightly larger population that is VERY inbred.

Couldn't you first clone the animals, and then apply genetic mutation to them to get them to be genetically diverse?

**chris200x9** · February 8th, 2009

Originally Posted by eragon100

Couldn't you first clone the animals, and then apply genetic mutation to them to get them to be genetically diverse?

I honestly don't know, if you could it would be neat idea.

**eragon100** · February 8th, 2009

Originally Posted by chris200x9

I honestly don't know, if you could it would be neat idea.

And another, simpler one: if you can take the DNA of a single individual before the species go extinct,
you can also take the DNA of, say, 250 of them and create 250 different clones with this material, right? Problem solved.

With (a lot) more research, I truly hope we can use this technologically to design/create
fully artificial life forms one day