3 boys in Michigan found a large bone on a farm in Michigan. The bone belongs to a prehistoric Mammoth.

Herald Palladium

“In what could be an important step toward stabilizing the world’s population of endangered Asian elephants, German researchers say they’ve hit on a way to freeze elephant sperm without destroying its viability.” Scientific American

“Elephants do not have the greatest eyesight in the animal kingdom, but they never forget a face. Carol Buckley at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn., for instance, reports that in 1999 resident elephant Jenny became anxious and could hardly be contained when introduced to newcomer Shirley, an Asian elephant.” – Scientific American

An amazing article about elephant’s memories.

“The elephant population in Northern Kenya has increased by five per cent since the last count in 2002.” – DAILY NATION

“Over the years WWF in collaboration with the North Carolina Zoo has been deploying satellite collars on elephants in the Southeast and other parts of Cameroon. The collars provide information via satellite on the movement pattern of elephants essential for the conservation of this charismatic mega vertebrate.” – AfricaNews

Scientists believe they could bring mammoths back to life. They now have the complete genetic make-up and think they could resurrect the species by implanting an egg in an elephant. Do you think this should be done? What would we do with the extinct creature? Wouldn’t it be lonely?

“Stephan Schuster, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and the project co-leader at Pennsylvania State university, said the discovery could give clues to why the mammoth became extinct while elephants survived. He said: “By deciphering this genome we could, in theory, generate data that one day may help other researchers to bring the woolly mammoth back to life by inserting the uniquely mammoth DNA sequences into the genome of the modern-day elephant. “

(via)Independent.ie

photo credit: Travis S.

“Scientists are talking for the first time about the old idea of resurrecting extinct species as if this staple of science fiction is a realistic possibility, saying that a living mammoth could perhaps be regenerated for as little as $10 million.” – NYTimes.com

“Dr. Joyce Poole-who has lived with elephants in Africa’s savannah for more than 27 years-described her experiences to more than 100 people Saturday at ARK 2000, the Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary. She recounted her time spent working on the Amboseli Elephant Research Project at Amboseli National Park in Kenya, a 57-square-mile park near Mount Kilimanjaro. Her work there is part of one of the longest-running research projects concentrating on wild elephants.” – Calaveras Enterprise

“A new study has determined that extracting elephant DNA from confiscated ivory could be an important tool to help wildlife authorities stop elephant poaching at its source.” – ThisDay

“Researchers from Chiang Mai University (CMU) have a new means of fighting phobias and depression _ elephants. CMU had previously studied the effects of ”elephant therapy” on autistic children and, having noted promising results, are now proposing a similar programme for people suffering from depression or phobias. ” – Bangkok Post

“A new study in the journal Biology Letters reports that elephant herds with the oldest females will likely be more resilient as climate change brings more frequent and intense droughts to the African savanna. Researchers found that during a 1993 drought in Tanzania, fewer calves died in two herds whose females were older than a third herd.” – globeandmail.com

“Throughout history, elephants have been thought of as ‘different’. Shakespeare, and even Aristotle, described them as walking on inflexible column-like legs. And this myth persists even today. Which made John Hutchinson from The Royal Veterinary College, London, want to find out more about elephants and the way they move. Are they really that different from other, more fleet-footed species? Are their legs as rigid and ‘columnar’ as people had thought?” – Science Daily

“A new study has determined that extracting elephant DNA from confiscated ivory could be an important tool to help wildlife investigations stop elephant poaching at its source.” – Zee News

“The biologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton is walking up on an elephant, a sizable young female, nubile and shy. Her name, as she’s known to him and his colleagues, is Anne. She stands half-concealed within a cluster of trees on the knob of a hill in remote northern Kenya, browsing tranquilly with several members of her family. Around her neck hangs a stout leather collar along which, at the crest of her shoulders, like a tiny porkpie hat, sits an electronic transmitter.” – National Geographic Magazine

“Climatologists predict that the African continent will grow drier and drier as global warming brings more droughts. But whether elephants herds can survive might depend on their oldest members.” – Discover Magazine

“Long-term memory may be key to helping elephants survive future challenges, including climate change, reports a new study published in The Royal Society’s Biology Letters. ” – Monga Bay

“Shot at the Ichihara Elephant Kingdom near Tokyo, it shows one-year-old Yumeka adding the finishing touches to what appears to be a flower. The zoo manager says that although many elephants have been taught to paint by humans, Yumeka began to show talent for painting without training.” – New Scientist Short Sharp Science Blog:

“Three Bornean Elephants have been fitted with satellite collars over the past week in Kinabatangan, marking the beginning of the first study of their social structure.” – the star online