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Not all break at the same point
Posted by lmarks@...
11th Oct
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This post is an embarrassment
Posted by dmm99
16th Oct
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Jurassic DNA Halflife
Be interesting to see the details of this study. I would tend to doubt the results as a generality. After all, protein should behave similarly since amide hydrolysis is not that dissimilar from phosphodiester hydrolysis kinetically. However, Jack Horner's grad students identified intact collagen in T. rex leg bones. Just sayin'...
Posted by smfieldssr@...
11th Oct
-1
Votes
Young Bones
I would not give up hope. They make a wrong assumption. The dinosaur/dragon bones are only hundreds of years old.
Posted by NewKreation
11th Oct
-2
Votes
young bones
idiot.
Posted by bookmanpc
11th Oct
0
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DNA's "half-life"
"By comparing the specimens ages and degrees of degradation, the scientists calculated DNAs half-life. After 521 years, half of the bonds that bind nucleotides together break, and in another 521 they would break again, and so on."
better as
By comparing the specimens ages and degrees of degradation, the scientists calculated DNAs "half-life". After 521 years, half of the bonds that bind nucleotides together will have broken, and in another 521 half of those left intact would have themselves broken, and so on. Even beaking a few bonds (i.e. in the first few years) may well render the DNA "useless".
(c.f.radioactive decay)
better as
By comparing the specimens ages and degrees of degradation, the scientists calculated DNAs "half-life". After 521 years, half of the bonds that bind nucleotides together will have broken, and in another 521 half of those left intact would have themselves broken, and so on. Even beaking a few bonds (i.e. in the first few years) may well render the DNA "useless".
(c.f.radioactive decay)
Posted by p.bradfield
11th Oct
+2
Votes
Interesting data...faulty conclusion.
While it is extremely unlikely that functional DNA strands from 100 million year old samples can be extracted and used directly, this is far from the only methodology to recreate an ancient life-form.
Start with any descendant species. The DNA will contain many segments which it inherited.
Proteins do break down, but the breakdown products can be used to extrapelate back to the original molecules.
A sufficiently large specimen, say several tons, frozen under the Antarctic Ice, would potentially yield a usable sample, and almost certainly would yeild a statistically large enough sample to recreate the original DNA...a couple miles of ice prevents an awful lot of high energy particles from reaching the sample.
We cannot prove with absolute certainty that such lifeforms haven't survived somewhere--perhaps not on Earth.
In the absolute worst case, having a decent idea of the genome expression from the fossil record, and assuming we learn to understand how to manipulate DNA, we can produce individuals and/or species 'replicas' which may or may not be identical to the original species, but would represent how such species probably looked and acted based upon our knowledge and speculation.
I'd bet that at the very least, someone will succeed with the last possibility...not this decade nor next, but probably within 500-1000 years barring major setbacks (like asteroid strikes, global or our species destruction.) Possibly by the end of the current century.
Start with any descendant species. The DNA will contain many segments which it inherited.
Proteins do break down, but the breakdown products can be used to extrapelate back to the original molecules.
A sufficiently large specimen, say several tons, frozen under the Antarctic Ice, would potentially yield a usable sample, and almost certainly would yeild a statistically large enough sample to recreate the original DNA...a couple miles of ice prevents an awful lot of high energy particles from reaching the sample.
We cannot prove with absolute certainty that such lifeforms haven't survived somewhere--perhaps not on Earth.
In the absolute worst case, having a decent idea of the genome expression from the fossil record, and assuming we learn to understand how to manipulate DNA, we can produce individuals and/or species 'replicas' which may or may not be identical to the original species, but would represent how such species probably looked and acted based upon our knowledge and speculation.
I'd bet that at the very least, someone will succeed with the last possibility...not this decade nor next, but probably within 500-1000 years barring major setbacks (like asteroid strikes, global or our species destruction.) Possibly by the end of the current century.
Posted by wizoddg
11th Oct
+1
Vote
Dreaming of Jurassic Park?...
But reviving a dinosaur nowadays would be awfully impractical, wouldn't it? what could we do with it? where would we keep it? I don't think it could be a good idea to have one as a pet at home (in a studio apartment?) it sounds rather messy, what about neighbors complaints?
At lunch time we'll have a big dilemma: A live cow? several dozen rabbits? three or four goats? And the expense!
And how do we convince the animal to take a shower?
There are too many "Buts"
They look much nicer in film, and we don't have to take care of them (like with babies).
At lunch time we'll have a big dilemma: A live cow? several dozen rabbits? three or four goats? And the expense!
And how do we convince the animal to take a shower?
There are too many "Buts"
They look much nicer in film, and we don't have to take care of them (like with babies).
Posted by David Traversa
11th Oct
+3
Votes
Not all break at the same point
The DNA strands don't all break at the same points, do they? If enough fragments could be scavenged from the same critter, they could be arranged so that fragments from some strands bridge the breaks in others, ultimately yielding the entire code, no?
Posted by lmarks@...
11th Oct
0
Votes
Shotgun approach
Isn't that basically how the "shotgun" approach works to sequence DNA? They sequence bits and pieces, then "glue" them together.
But after 10 half-lives, there wouldn't be many long pieces left. I suppose if you had enough DNA, you might get lucky and find enough long pieces still intact.
BUT! If the half-life is only 521 years, then 10 half-lives is only 5210 years. A million years is like 2000 half-lives. So 65 million years is 100,000 half-lives. You would need to sort through an ENORMOUS amount of DNA before you'd find the necessary intact chains. I think that qualifies as a sisyphean task.
But after 10 half-lives, there wouldn't be many long pieces left. I suppose if you had enough DNA, you might get lucky and find enough long pieces still intact.
BUT! If the half-life is only 521 years, then 10 half-lives is only 5210 years. A million years is like 2000 half-lives. So 65 million years is 100,000 half-lives. You would need to sort through an ENORMOUS amount of DNA before you'd find the necessary intact chains. I think that qualifies as a sisyphean task.
Posted by dmm99
16th Oct
-2
Votes
super particle humans of sorts
those dinosaurs have evolved to HUMANS ! look at most humans now, has traits like those. let humans now evolve to super humans, light particles so we can be free in space.
just im waiting that all monkeys should evolve into something more human (DIDNT THEY YET ? ) . see no monkies, and see no humans(there gone particles).
this article kills the evolution theory.
just im waiting that all monkeys should evolve into something more human (DIDNT THEY YET ? ) . see no monkies, and see no humans(there gone particles).
this article kills the evolution theory.
Posted by ilovesards@...
11th Oct
0
Votes
This post is an embarrassment
@ilovesards: Are you drunk? institutionalized? a bot?
Posted by dmm99
16th Oct