Reproducing the Iceman

[C110]

I would love to hear a show with an expert about the iceman found in the swiss alps a few years ago.  The story about his discovery, history and what scientists have learned.

This may sound far fetched to some but my question to you all is could they harvest sperm from this iceman and impant it into an egg of a female from the present or maybe one from the same period that the iceman was from to produce offspring?  If it were a success do you think the child would have the same learning capacity as a child from our time period.  What about cloning the iceman?

I know there was some talk about trying to reproduce a wooly mammath found a few years ago.

Your thoughts......and no iI am not retarded.  Just curious.  Thanks.

[Agent : Orange]

Could Otzi possibly be cloned from cells recovered from his preserved tissues? Mammoth DNA has been recovered at least in part from remains found. And I think Otzi has been better preserved than most mammoths.

I don't know enough about cloning processes to say one way or another, but I wouldn't be surprised. Good questions!

As an aside, I've always thought a cool plot would be growing a clone from the blood on the shroud of Turin. Hello second virgin birth!

[haloedorchid]

Your thoughts......and no iI am not retarded.  Just curious.  Thanks.

Your post prompted me to start a Wikipedia odyssey from mummies to bog bodies. Very interesting stuff.

I would definitely listen to an Otzi-themed show. Preferably with Ian or George Knapp at the helm.

[C110]

Thanks for the replies......I know the sperm cells are dead but maybe one day the DNA could  be infused some how into live sperm that has been erased of its original DNA to fertilize a egg (if found) from that same time period.

The offspring, if truly produced from DNA from that period, would in a way be a time traveller.

[Agent : Orange]

The offspring, if truly produced from DNA from that period, would in a way be a time traveller.

That's a trippy thought...

I know that reproductive cloning techniques use essentially "hollowed out" egg cells, so I think the mitochondrial DNA would be from a modern woman. Again I am no expert on cloning so I might be off the mark.

[MV/Liberace!]

Your thoughts......and no iI am not retarded.  Just curious.  Thanks.

i sat here and laughed for about 30 seconds after catching this line.  greatest wrap-up to a post ever.