3 ms·

Axenic (bacteria-free) mice (and other species) are bred and raised in labs everywhere and are not very different from wild mice, so while it could make a diffe

• timoth3y 2y ago
  OK. You sent me down a new rabbit hole. It was fun. Thank you for that! It is really interesting that a mammal can survive without its fauna. The fact that it's possible at all is important. Axenic mice, however, need to be bred and maintained in isolators and they need to be fed a carefully prepared diet to keep them alive. In practice, particularly in the context of de-extinction, the overall point still stands. Having the DNA does not mean we can create a viable organism. Is an elephant's fauna "close enough" so the calf can pick it up from the mother and use it? Maybe? But we are looking at micro-organisms separated by 10,000 years and from two very different climates, so I'm not sure if the odds are favorable. == Edit :spelling