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Cloning the Mammoth: A Complicated Task or Just a Dream?

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Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 753))

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.

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Acknowledgments

The research leading to these results received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no 210103 to GP, and PRIN 2007, no 2007MY2M92 to GP. PL acknowledges the support of the EU FP7-KBBE -2009-3 Programme, project no 244356 (NextGene) and PRIN MIUR founding (project no 2009JE3CHM). Funds from the Bank Foundation Tercas (Teramo, Italy) and funds from project “Genhome”, Miur/Firb are acknowledged. The authors are grateful to the Japanese Academy for the permit to reproduce figures published by Kato et al., on Proc. Jpn. Acad. Ser B., Phys Biol Sci. 2009; 85(7):240–7.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy

    Pasqualino Loi Ph.D. & Grazyna Ptak Ph.D.

  2. Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, Berlin, 10315, Germany

    Joseph Saragusty D.V.M., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Pasqualino Loi Ph.D.
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  2. Joseph Saragusty D.V.M., Ph.D.
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  3. Grazyna Ptak Ph.D.
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Pasqualino Loi Ph.D. or Joseph Saragusty D.V.M., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Metabolism, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    William V. Holt

  2. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Janine L. Brown

  3. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Pierre Comizzoli

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Loi, P., Saragusty, J., Ptak, G. (2014). Cloning the Mammoth: A Complicated Task or Just a Dream?. In: Holt, W., Brown, J., Comizzoli, P. (eds) Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 753. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0820-2_19

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