Canadian Scientist Announces plan to Reverse Engineer Dinosaurs from Chickens.

[stephendare]

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-08/scientist-vows-backwards-engineer-dinosaur-chicken

After years spent hunting for the buried remains of prehistoric animals, a Canadian paleontologist now plans to manipulate chicken embryos to show he can create a dinosaur.

Hans Larsson, the Canada Research Chair in Macro Evolution at Montreal's McGill University, said he aims to develop dinosaur traits that disappeared millions of years ago in birds.

Larsson believes by flipping certain genetic levers during a chicken embryo's development, he can reproduce the dinosaur anatomy, he told AFP in an interview.

Though still in its infancy, the research could eventually lead to hatching live prehistoric animals, but Larsson said there are no plans for that now, for ethical and practical reasons -- a dinosaur hatchery is "too large an enterprise."

"It's a demonstration of evolution," said Larsson, who has studied bird evolution for the last 10 years.

"If I can demonstrate clearly that the potential for dinosaur anatomical development exists in birds, then it again proves that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs."

The research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs program and National Geographic.

The idea for the project, Larsson said, came about during discussions with renowned American paleontologist Jack Horner, who served as technical advisor for the Jurassic Park films.

Horner recently wrote a book entitled "How to Build A Dinosaur," in which he refers to the embryo experiment as part of a quest to create a "chickenosaurus."

Larsson's team has previously worked to uncover prehistoric animal remains, including eight unknown species of dinosaurs and five new types of crocodile in Niger. He also recently uncovered the remains of a new carnivorous dinosaur in Argentina.

[buckethead]

Reverse genetic engineering is the Devil!

[Ocklawaha]

First came the FIRE ANTS, then the KILLER BEES and now this dumb ass dude wants to unleash what? Oh yeah, just what we need next canoe trip through the Ocala National Forest, a fricki'n dinosaur! Good for you Mate! You poor dumb bastard!

Well I guess he has proved one cryptozoological fact, HE IS WHY SOME ANIMALS EAT THEIR YOUNG!

OCKLAWAHA

[buckethead]

Somebody needs to rewatch Jurassic Park!

[Dog Walker]

There is a pun somewhere in the title of this thread.  Let's see; reverse, chickens, eggs......?

[Jason]

IMO, try out the technology on recently extinct species first.  Maybe bring the Dodo Bird back?  Or at least find a way to help prevent the extinction of some of our endangered species like the Florida Panther or White Rhino.  Save the dino tests for later, after all of our other species are safe and sound.

[BridgeTroll]

Woolly Mammoth is the most likely candidate for this type of thing.  Whole frozen carcasses have been discovered in Siberia yielding nearly complete DNA strands.  Clone... implant in African elephant...

Viola... Woolly Mammoth!

[Captain Zissou]

The real issue will be when this guy is successful and we have a 50 ft tall Chickenosaurus terrorizing Tokyo. PETA will step in and refuse to let people kill it because it's a rare and valuable species.

[BridgeTroll]

50 ft tall Chickenosaurus

Will we still call em "Buffalo Wings"?  

[RiversideLoki]

For some reason the first thing that popped into my head was Dr. Weird screaming "Gentlemen... BEHOLD!"

[Captain Zissou]

I wonder if this would be a sustainable or environmentally friendly meat source....? Gary, Indiana's days are numbered.

[BridgeTroll]

Perhaps... Tofusaurus?

[Burn to Shine]

I'm already a little shy to walk the dog around the pond - I surely don't wanna worry about what's lurking in the trees too.  I'd like to see them reverse engineer the caveman - they can start with this guy's brain.  WTH is he thinking??? 

[riverside_mail]

I wonder if this would be a sustainable or environmentally friendly meat source....? Gary, Indiana's days are numbered.

Yes, and amazingly, it will taste like chicken.

[Ocklawaha]

Woolly Mammoth is the most likely candidate for this type of thing.  Whole frozen carcasses have been discovered in Siberia yielding nearly complete DNA strands.  Clone... implant in African elephant...

Viola... Woolly Mammoth!

A Mammoth and an African Elephant? Damn Troll, sounds like a Woolly Afro to me!

STEPHENDARE, you are correct that we both could think a a use for a couple of them but who the hell wants to keep the stable shoveled out? FYI, I can go down to Leticia, Colombia, in 4 hours, and come back with some tiny fish for the City Hall aquarium that would serve the same purpose. Might even be a better alternative because they're "self cleaning".

OCKLAWAHA