Exploring the DNA of Woolly Mammoths
What can be done with the extracted DNA fragments from woolly mammoths?
A) Introduce into relatives, such as elephants, certain mammoth traits.
B) Clone live woolly mammoths.
C) Study the relationships among woolly mammoths and other wool-producers.
D) Understand the evolutionary relationships among members of related taxa.
E) Appreciate the reasons why mammoths went extinct.
Answer:
Woolly mammoth DNA fragments can be used to study relations with other species, understand their evolutionary history, possibly introduce their traits in living relatives, and provide insights into factors that led to their extinction.
Extracted woolly mammoth DNA fragments can be used in various scientific capacities. The introduction of mammoth traits into relatives, such as elephants, is theoretically possible given the close genetic relationship between the species.
The cloning of a woolly mammoth is not currently feasible due to technological limitations, but could become possible in the future as biotechnology advances.
Studying DNA from woolly mammoths would provide insight into their relationships with other wool-producing animals, although the primary relationships would likely be with other pachyderms rather than wool-producers.