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A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

unimelb.edu.au

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Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#51

that taxidermy job should be redone. the head/face looks nothing like the real thing. it looks comical, like a bad sock puppet. https://earthlymission.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/tasman... vs https://www.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0004/4255339/...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Sock-pup...

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#53
post #22

I wonder, have they asked the people of Tasmania if they want it back? It's Jurassic Park writ small.

De-extinction doesn't necessarily mean they will release animals back into the wild. Presumably a portion of animal behaviour is learned and passed down from the previous generation. Animals produced by de-extinction will be lacking these behaviours and perhaps best off in captivity.

If they raise them in an environment where they have to hunt/forage for food, I don't see it being a big problem. You'd want to establish a population in a sanctuary for several generations before attempting it of course. Dogs and cats both can become feral pretty easily, and these occupied a similar niche despite being so distantly related.

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#54
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are periodic sightings of them. Although not with high enough confidence or documentation to say definitely, "They are still out there".

It's not plausible that such a large animal can have a self-sustaining population in the wild, and not be properly detected by the scientific community for 100 years.

Scientists haven't managed to find a sasquatch yet, and those are even bigger.

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not plausible that such a large animal can have a self-sustaining population in the wild, and not be properly detected by the scientific community for 100 years.

One might be greatly overestimating the number of scientist per hectare.

Otoh, there is a huge reward for capturing a living thylacine.

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#56
"He was watching one of Lev’s two thylacine analogs through the kitchen window.…Now it turned, in its uncanine fashion, its vertically striped flank quite heraldic, and seemed to stare at him. The regard of a mammalian predator neither canid nor felid was a peculiar thing."

William Gibson, The Peripheral (2014).

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#58
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are periodic sightings of them. Although not with high enough confidence or documentation to say definitely, "They are still out there".

It's not plausible that such a large animal can have a self-sustaining population in the wild, and not be properly detected by the scientific community for 100 years.

It is very unlikely -- however have you been to Tasmania?

Some parts are well-nigh impenetrable due to thick bush.

Re: A lab pursuing de-extinction of the thylacine partners with a genetics company

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One can’t help but wonder how much the movie influenced the work

It's an idea that's been around a long time. Even the specific idea of a dinosaur park with cloned dinosaurs is not novel to the novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cursed_Earth_(Judge_Dredd_...

This is fucking awesome, thanks.
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