Dinosaurs
Can we bring them back to life?
An exploration of the biological and genetic barriers to cloning dinosaurs, contrasting science fiction with the reality of paleontology and genetics.
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Dinosaur Science Basics
1. Approximately how long ago did non-avian dinosaurs go extinct?
- A. 1 million years ago
- B. 66 million years ago
- C. 100 million years ago
- D. 10,000 years ago
2. Why can't scientists extract dinosaur DNA from fossils?
- A. Fossils are made of stone, not living cells.
- B. Fossils are too hard to break open.
- C. DNA is only found in the teeth of fossils.
- D. Scientists haven't found a fossil yet.
3. What is the scientific relationship between birds and dinosaurs?
- A. Birds evolved to mimic dinosaurs.
- B. Birds are just dinosaur-like insects.
- C. Birds are direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs.
- D. There is no evolutionary link between them.
4. Why would using frog DNA to 'fill the gaps' in dinosaur DNA fail?
- A. It would make the dinosaur too large.
- B. Frogs are immune to dinosaur DNA.
- C. It is like using pages from a different book to fix a story.
- D. Frogs are not old enough to have dinosaur DNA.
Dinosaur De-extinction Analysis
1. Why does the 'mosquito in amber' method for cloning dinosaurs not work?
- A. Amber only traps insects, not blood.
- B. DNA degrades over millions of years and cannot survive in porous amber.
- C. Mosquitoes didn't exist when dinosaurs lived.
- D. Amber neutralizes DNA instantly upon contact.
2. What is the primary role of a 'surrogate mother' in cloning?
- A. To provide the original dinosaur DNA.
- B. To keep the embryo warm after it hatches.
- C. To provide a living egg that can carry a developing embryo.
- D. To filter the DNA of the extinct species.
3. How is 'de-extinction' for a woolly mammoth different from a T-Rex?
- A. Mammoths are much smaller than dinosaurs.
- B. Mammoths became extinct very recently, so their DNA is better preserved.
- C. Mammoths were not true animals.
- D. Scientists have never tried to clone a mammoth.
4. If scientists create a chicken with teeth, have they created a real dinosaur?
- A. Yes, they have successfully cloned a dinosaur.
- B. No, it is just a modified chicken that happens to share dinosaur traits.
- C. Yes, but only if it also has a long tail.
- D. No, because the chicken is not a living thing.
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