Are chickens the key to a real-life version of Jurassic Park?
The story became popular thanks to its 1993 film adaptation, Steven Spielberg’sBut how scientifically accurate is Jurassic Park’s plot? American paleontologist Jack Horner explained in a TED talk: “If you actually had a piece of amber and it had an insect in it, and you drilled into it and got something out of that insect, and cloned it over and over again, then you’d have a room full of mosquitoes.
Apparently, DNA is also well preserved in — surprise — amber. Amber is a type of fossilized tree resin formed from the sap of certain trees. When an insect or other small organisms get trapped in the sticky resin, it can become entombed within the resin as it hardens over time. This process can result in the preservation of the organism in near-perfect condition. Scientists have actually foundIn some rare cases, amber can also preserve soft tissues and DNA.
By manipulating these genes in chicken embryos, the researchers were able to create embryos with snouts and palates that more closely resembled those of their dinosaur ancestors.They didn’t allow the genetically-modified chicken embryos to hatch, though.
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