Grow a Dinosuar

[A_Wanderer]

Reverse engineering is a wonderful thing

Well, better start searching the skies for flying pork—scientists have discovered a mutant chicken with a full set of crocodile-like chompers.

The mutant chick, called Talpid, also had severe limb defects and died before hatching. It was discovered 50 years ago, but no one had ever examined its mouth until now.

The researchers recently created more Talpids by tweaking the genes of normal chickens to grow teeth.

"What we discovered were teeth similar to those of crocodiles—not surprising as birds are the closest living relatives of the reptile," said Mark Ferguson of the University of Manchester.

source

It is pretty much impossible to recreate a dinosaur proper (you are not going to be able to form an Apatosaurus or Stegosaurus) since DNA degrades rapidy and after more than 65,000,000 years there is practically nothing left.

But by reactivating pathways such as this it is not beyond the realm of possibility to create some sort of transgenic organism that would have strong similarities to dinosaurs (Aves are cladistically dinosars, part of Maniraptora to be specific). I think that would be very cool - and somebody could make a lot of money when the technology is there (I mean what kid wouldn't want a pet dinosaur!).

 

[verte76]

Parents will be able to get their kids pet dinosaurs.