Ice Age Lion Club Clones

Scientists attempt to clone Ice Age lion cubs following the discovery of 12,000-year-old near perfect remains in Siberia.

16:48 07 March 2016

Two near perfect remains of two cubs were discovered in Russia’s Sakha Republic last August, giving scientists the DNA they need to clone the creatures.  

 

The project is a joint venture by Russian and South Korean scientists at the Joint Foundation of Molecular Paleontology at North East Russia University in the city of Yakutsk.

 

The first Ice Age cave lion cub will be used for the cloning attempt while the other will be kept as part of the Mammoth Museum’s collection.

 

The 12,000-year-old cave lion cubs, named Uyan and Dina, are the most unspoilt examples of ancient big cat species ever found.

 

Dr Albert Protopopov, head of the mammoth fauna studies department of the Yakutian Academy of Sciences, said: "This find, beyond any doubt, is sensational."