Scientists trying to clone, resurrect extinct mammoth

[N35t0r]

No, the only thing I still hate him for is thinking that Africa is farther from Japan than the waters off Antarctica.

German-Japanese trade is made by ship, even though the sea voyage is longer (in distance) than the land trip. They must be really stupid, right?

[The Mad Monk]

PASSENGER PIGEONS!!!

[Elok]

No, the only thing I still hate him for is thinking that Africa is farther from Japan than the waters off Antarctica.

Technically, you hate me for thinking the Japanese got their whales from the South China Sea or somewhere else a little closer.

[Elok]

Albert, you dumb ass, deer originally came from Eurasia. They didn't come to North America until the landbridge in the last iceage. It's mainly animals which are not from Africa or Eurasia which had long contact with humans as they were advancing. Yes, some animals were by nature more flighty then others but there are tons and tons of examples of species which didn't know to run and so got wiped out including most of the megafauna

There's a large population of feral cats where I live. These animals were bred by humans; most of them are only a couple of generations removed from house pets. Yet, for some reason, they seem to be afraid of me despite my never lifting a finger to hurt them. They bolt if I get too close, whether I so much as look in their direction or not.

Could it be that these cats are simply not reading the same books as you have?

[The Mad Monk]

Boca, gaining a rep for exotic tacos, plans lion-meat offering
Story(38) CommentsBoca, gaining a rep for exotic tacos, plans lion-meat offering
Valerie Vinyard Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Thursday, January 20, 2011 12:00 am | Comments

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MATT YORK / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 2010

Il Vinaio restaurant in Mesa served lion burgers last year to mark the World Cup in South Africa. The owner drew a crowd of diners, but some picketers as well. .

..In the six months since it launched Exotic Taco Wednesdays, Boca Tacos y Tequila has served up python, alligator, elk, kangaroo and rattlesnake.

Frog legs, turtle, duck and Rocky Mountain oysters have also made appearances.

"We've done just about anything we can get our hands on," said owner Bryan Mazon. "Every Wednesday we do something a little bit different."

Last week he announced on Boca's Facebook page that the UA-area taco shop was accepting prepaid orders for African lion, to be served on Feb. 16. Orders must be placed by 3 p.m. Feb. 7.

"I've gotten a lot of questions, like if it's legal," said Mazon, adding that a few lion tacos have been reserved so far. "We're still a month out, too."

According to the Food and Drug Administration, lion and other game meat can be sold as long as the species isn't endangered.

"I'm doing the African lion to get my name out," said Mazon, who used to be a salesman for City Meat and Provisions. "I've never tried it myself, but this one really caught my eye."

Mazon said he had heard about a Mesa restaurant, il Vinaio, that served burgers made with African lion to correspond with the World Cup in South Africa last summer. Reservations sold out, but others picketed the restaurant.

Most of Boca's exotic tacos range between $3 and $4. The lion tacos cost $8.75 apiece.

This is the first time Boca is pre-selling its tacos. But at $100 a pound of ground lion meat - $400 for a pound of tenderloin - it makes sense.

Mazon said he still expects to lose money on the lion, but is in it for exposure.

"In all reality, what I want is just people to know that I'm here," he said. "That's the way to do it. You can't get these tacos anywhere else."

His wife, Maria Jose Mazon, is Boca's chef and will make eight tacos per pound.

The couple usually order 2 to 3 pounds of meat for Exotic Wednesdays, with grilled alligator being the best-seller.

But rattlesnake made an impact, too.

"It's the one people want back the most," Mazon said. "It was the first one, and it's the one most talked about."

The couple plan to order the lion meat from a farm in Perris, Calif., which is southwest of Los Angeles.

For the lion, diners will build their own Sonoran street-style taco. They can add cabbage, guacamole, pickled red onions and diced cucumbers and any of the six house-made salsas to the tacos.

The Mazons opened their taco shop at 828 E. Speedway, in the former home of Greasy Tony's, the legendary sub shop, last June.

"I'm 50 percent local Tucsonans and 50 percent students," Mazon said. "We do gourmet tacos. Do I want to get more students? - sure.

"A lot of students might think that my price point isn't directed at them, but the average check is $8. Late night is 100 percent students."

Boca is open 11:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and noon until 10 p.m. on Sunday. Call 777-8134 for more information.

http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/dining/article_ca33ed71-b6c4-5357-8c7f-e15a91db995d.html

Perhaps elephant isn't so far afield...

[Dinner]

There's a large population of feral cats where I live. These animals were bred by humans; most of them are only a couple of generations removed from house pets. Yet, for some reason, they seem to be afraid of me despite my never lifting a finger to hurt them. They bolt if I get too close, whether I so much as look in their direction or not.

Could it be that these cats are simply not reading the same books as you have?

Of course. Also house cats are not mult ton top of the food chain animals either. You average cat has to worry about all sorts of predators which say a diprotdont in Australia wouldn't or Moa normally wouldn't (other then one giant 40 ft eagle) or even a giant ground sloth in North America wouldn't.

[Tupac Shakur]

Elephants came from Eurasia and Africa, Drake.

Why are mammoths extinct then, ******? Wouldn't they have "evolved to fear humans" according to your dumb ****ing theory?

German-Japanese trade is made by ship, even though the sea voyage is longer (in distance) than the land trip. They must be really stupid, right?

I don't have the first damn clue what point you think you're making here.

Technically, you hate me for thinking the Japanese got their whales from the South China Sea or somewhere else a little closer.

True. Start watching crappy TV, you ****.

[Dinner]

It's not that every species falls into that catagory, drake, so stop pretending it is the only way species go extinct. Obviously there are a lot of factors at play and the one I spoke about is just that, one.

[Tupac Shakur]

So you made a claim about the reasons why megafauna went extinct in a thread about extinct mammoths, but your claim about megafauna extinction doesn't apply to extinct mammoths? Jesus Christ...

[Elok]

Of course. Also house cats are not mult ton top of the food chain animals either. You average cat has to worry about all sorts of predators which say a diprotdont in Australia wouldn't or Moa normally wouldn't (other then one giant 40 ft eagle) or even a giant ground sloth in North America wouldn't.

Fine. How about feral horses? Significantly bigger than people, descended from stock bred by people, still skittish around people. Actually, let's step back here. How exactly is this naive-about-humans theory supposed to work, anyway? Are you suggesting inherited racial memories, or just a really complex set of inherited instincts that amount to the same thing?

[Dinner]

http://books.google.com/books?id=kLKTa_OeoNIC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=incurably+tame+animals&source=bl&ots=oYVtLuHgrp&sig=rUyzFyFMEX_YxjPuLR3TPtBWnl8&hl=en&ei=IOE4TdGvOoG6sQOxy6DiAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=incurably%20tame%20animals&f=false

Start reading at page 42 and finish the chapter.

[Elok]

Okay, that mentions "evolving a fear of humans" for about two pages, giving no details of how such a process would occur. At least some of the examples given could simply be explained by a lack of naturally occurring predators. Dodos were among the largest creatures on the island, and many species of seal are in no danger on land, as killer whales can't walk. Their lacking an ingrained fear of a species of projectile-launching apes is a needlessly complicated theory.

EDIT: Wiki's article on the dodo confirms lack of natural predation. They weren't afraid of humans, but probably also weren't afraid of wolves, bears, lions, jaguars, or bobcats.

[Docfeelgood]

Fine. How about feral horses? Significantly bigger than people, descended from stock bred by people, still skittish around people. Actually, let's step back here. How exactly is this naive-about-humans theory supposed to work, anyway? Are you suggesting inherited racial memories, or just a really complex set of inherited instincts that amount to the same thing?

[Dinner]

He continues talking about reasons species can go extinct (climate change, disease, human hunting, humans changing the environment such as setting it on fire or causing erosion due to deforestation, etc...) and he points out that just about all the megafauna (other then the old world) went extinct almost exactly when humans arrived on the scene. Why did most of the old world's megafauna survive but most of the rest of the world's die out just about every where else? Australia, New Guinea, Madagascar, North America, South America, and dozens of islands. All right almost right after humans arrive. Clearly there is a reason old world megafauna did better against humans then every where else.

[Elok]

Well, the islands could generally be explained by the same mechanism as the dodo: not a specific boldness towards humans, but a general atrophy of survival instincts/abilities from being alone on top of the heap, which sounds at least a little plausible. As for Australian & nearby megafauna, a number survived: cassowaries, kangaroos, monitor lizards, emus, and some other animals depending how you define "megafauna." None of these, of course, are particularly docile around humans--the cassowary is normally reticent, but can be downright hostile, to the point of disembowelment, if you irritate it. Are they simply the freaks that weren't naturally docile?