Well science, you have really done it this time.
You’ve crushed the childhood dreams of many who wished to visit an island theme park filled with dinosaurs in the future.
Two scientists, Morten Allentoft and Michael Bunce, have scientifically proven that DNA has a half-life of 521 years.
This means that in 521 years, half of a DNA strain’s bonds will have been broken. After another 521 years, the rest of the bonds will be destroyed as well.
The studies were conducted on the leg bones of three different species of moa, which are giant extinct birds. Their bones were preserved by very cold weather. The bones ranged from being 600 to 8,000 years old.
So, after all these years of believing Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg were geniuses, Allentoft and Bunce have proven that there is no way that DNA can last more than 1,000 years.
That is quite a few million years less than 65 million years.
Thus, there is no hope of finding a mosquito preserved in amber that holds the blood of a triceratops that could be used to clone the dinosaur.
Yes, I understand the idea of “Jurassic Park” was always a little far-fetched, but to be honest, it was always somewhat plausible.
We were able to clone Dolly the sheep. Why not a dinosaur? That is, if we could find some usable DNA, of course.
There was always a thought in the back of my mind that maybe someday a live tyrannosaurus rex may be set free to terrorize the city of San Diego.
But now, all those dreams are gone because of Allentoft and Bunce. Thanks a lot, jerks.
Even through my frustration, I can’t really blame Allentoft and Bunce. They were just doing their jobs. It just eliminates my chance of ever walking with dinosaurs.
Chasen Doerr is a senior journalism major and the opinions editor for the Daily 49er.
