Mammoth

After an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 years frozen in one spot, Nun cho ga is again on the move — this time, being carried across the country to Ottawa by a delegation of Indigenous elders.Nun cho ga is the name that was given to the almost perfectly-preserved baby mammoth that was dug up by a miner in 2022 near Dawson City, Yukon.The rare find made headlines around the world and excited local paleontologists as it was deemed to be the first whole baby mammoth to be found in North America, and the second in the world. The…

If you were ever curious about what the extinct woolly mammoths looked like, you may soon have your wish fulfilled, as biotech company Colossal Biosciences has announced a major breakthrough in their goal to resurrect the furry 6-ton, 16-foot creatures.On Wednesday (March 6), the Dallas-based company revealed it had created a kind of stem cell for the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth: the Asian elephant.According to Colossal, scientists have, for the first time, created induced pluripotent stem cells for…

Colossal Biosciences, which calls itself “the world’s first de-extinction company,” has created stem cells it thinks will hasten the company’s marquee goal of resurrecting the woolly mammoth. The team’s research describing the accomplishment will be hosted on the preprint server bioRxiv.What Drew John Boyega Back Into Sci-Fi? | io9 InterviewThe cells are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), a type of cell that can be reprogrammed to develop into any other type of cell. The cells are especially useful in bioengineering,…

De-extinction startup Colossal Biosciences wants to bring back the woolly mammoth. Well, not the woolly mammoth exactly, but an Asian elephant gene-edited to give it the fuzzy hair and layer of blubber that allowed its close relative to thrive in sub-zero environments.To get to these so-called “functional mammoths,” Colossal’s scientists need to solve a whole bunch of challenges: making the right genetic tweaks, growing edited cells into fully formed baby functional mammoths, and finding a space where these animals can…

Artwork shows three mammoths being watched by a family of ancient Alaskans from the dunes near the Swan Point archaeological site, a seasonal hunting camp occupied 14,000 years ago. Credit: Julius Csostonyi. editedScientists have linked the movements of a 14,000-year-old woolly mammoth with early human settlements in Alaska. Analysis of the mammoth’s tusk revealed a journey that overlapped with human hunting areas, indicating a close relationship between these early settlers and mammoths.Researchers have linked the…

The most powerful California blizzard of the winter sent gusts of up to 190 mph to the Sierra Nevada, and heavy snow and strong winds forced officials to shut some roads in the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain areas.Roads that were forced to shut overnight into Saturday morning included a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Drum Forebay and the Nevada state line and a 50-mile stretch of Highway 395 north of Mammoth Lakes to Bridgeport. Highway 395 between Mammoth Lakes and Southern California remained open as of…

A treacherous, life-threatening blizzard was targeting California’s mightiest mountain range Thursday, already bringing 100 to 110 mph gusts at the highest elevations, with conditions expected to deteriorate dramatically by Friday night. “It’ll arrive with a vengeance,” said meteorologist Amanda Young of the National Weather Service’s Reno office, which issued a rare blizzard warning for the region, which is typically issued only once a year or every other year. Up to 12 feet of snow could fall on the highest peaks of…

As many as two asteroids passed Earth yesterday in close proximity. One of them was nearly 120 feet wide, which is nearly the size of an aircraft! Despite their close approaches, these asteroids did not pose a threat to Earth and had no chance of impact. But how do these space rocks come close to the planet? NASA says this happens due to the interaction with a large planet's gravitational field, which can send the tumbling towards a planet, raising a potential impact scenario. With the help of its advanced tech, the US…

A rare blizzard warning was issued for the Sierra Nevada, including ski resorts at Mammoth Mountain and around Lake Tahoe, as officials urged people to avoid travel during treacherous weather Thursday through Sunday.Up to 8 feet of snow could fall, the latest forecasts say. The blizzard warning was in effect from Lassen Volcanic National Park in Shasta County to Kings Canyon National Park in Fresno County.Friday night to Saturday morning is expected to bring the most extreme conditions of severe snowfall and strong…

A powerful storm expected to hit California starting Thursday could bring the strongest blizzard of the winter for the Sierra Nevada, potentially dumping 5 to 12 feet of snow at elevations 5,000 feet above sea level. “Even by Sierra standards, this is shaping up to be a highly impactful, major winter storm,” the National Weather Service office in Reno said. “If these snow totals hold, this will easily be the biggest storm of the season.”That includes the possibility of 1 to 3 feet of snow for communities along Highway…