http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-16/bizarre-extinct-frog-brought-back-to-life/4575916

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In a world first, a team of Australian scientists has taken the first major step in bringing the extinct gastric brooding frog back to life. They have successfully reactivated its DNA and produced an embryo.

The gastric brooding frog existed 30 years ago, but the extraordinary amphibian is now extinct. The frog swallow its eggs, brood its young in its stomach and gives live birth through its mouth.

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There’s a fair bit of argument over the value of deextinction going on at the moment.

Well, it does keep the lunatic fringe off the streets.

Michael V said:

Well, it does keep the lunatic fringe off the streets.

No, it’s been mostly academic.

http://theconversation.edu.au/de-extinction-is-about-as-sensible-as-de-death-12850

http://scienceblogs.com/sciencepunk/2013/03/13/why-de-extinction-is-a-stupid-idea/

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/15/17319074-should-we-revive-extinct-species-watch-experts-debate-de-extinction

What I meant was it keeps the people who are trying to de-extinct species off the streets. Gives them something to do. They might otherwise be dangerous…

Michael V said:

What I meant was it keeps the people who are trying to de-extinct species off the streets. Gives them something to do. They might otherwise be dangerous…

Ah right, too early for that kind of thinking here :)…Dr Mephesto…

poikilotherm said:

There’s a fair bit of argument over the value of deextinction going on at the moment.

of long-extinct, charasmatic, mammalian megafauna from ancient environments..

…not a very recently extinct animal which could (if this does continue development from blastula to adult with some success) be eventually reintroduced into similar, chytrid-free habitat and which doesn’t require surrogate parent and long period of learning or socialisation.

The other argument against de-ex is cost (there’s little money for extant organisms) and reliance on this technique when conservation intervention should occur far earlier in the sequence of species decline.

and then there’s the limited genetic diversity and self-sustainability of the de-ex population, which may or may not be an issue..

but it’s extremely early days still for this frog work..

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reddit.

> In a world first, a team of Australian scientists has taken the first major step in bringing the extinct gastric brooding frog back to life. They have successfully reactivated its DNA and produced an embryo. The gastric brooding frog existed 30 years ago, but the extraordinary amphibian is now extinct. The frog swallow its eggs, brood its young in its stomach and gives live birth through its mouth.

That’s marvellous. I can remember the sadness felt in scientific circles when the gastric brooding frog went extinct. It was felt at the time that this creature could have provided great medical insights into how to overcome stomach problems in humans. So in my book, bringing it back from extinction ought to have a much higher priority than many other extinct species.