Another reason surfaced this week to oppose the cloning and resurrection of the Woolly Mammoth. It would be a giant step (no pun intended) backwards in society’s effort to promote healthy eating.
According to the Los Angeles Times, archaeologist Alston V. Thoms of Texas A&M University has determined that when the Woolly Mammoth became endangered 10,000 years ago, humans began to eat more plants. “The megafauna that had been a prime food source — such as the woolly mammoth — were becoming extinct, and other mammals were becoming harder to find. People had to turn to plants.”
His findings are contained in two reports published online this week in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology and the Journal of Archaeological Science.
We have felt that there are ethical and societal reasons for not resurrecting the Mammoth even though scientists indicate they have the ability to do it. “Woolly Mammoth Herds and Neanderthal Villages” , “Cloning the Woolly Mammoth” Now scientists have another reason to pause – What would the New York Times say if Woolly Mammoth farms and feed lots are created to provide a new big meal for the fast food industry. I can see the little plastic mammoths now and as meals get bigger and bigger, someone will have found a burger that would be a credible competitor for the Big Mac.
So as your mother warned: eat your vegetables – and stay away from Woolly Mammoth meat, its not as healthy.
Michael D’Angelo
LA Times: When the woolly mammoth ran out, early man turned to roasted vegetables
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City Requires Woolly Mammoth Owners to Clean Up Droppings « Future Update // January 8, 2009 at 12:40 am
[...] from extinction in 2015 when scientists perfected a method for cloning them using preserved DNA samples, woolly mammoths have become popular pets around the nation. For [...]