The video discusses the concept of genetic hybridization in the context of the movie Jurassic World and the video game Lego Jurassic World. The host, MatPat, explores the possibility of creating dinosaur hybrids by combining DNA from different species. He explains that genetic hybridization is a real process that has been used to create new breeds of animals, such as the cockapoo (a cross between a poodle and a cocker spaniel).
MatPat delves into the science behind genetic hybridization, explaining that it requires two species with similar enough genetics to create a viable animal. He notes that dinosaurs are closely related to modern birds, specifically chickens, and that scientists have been able to manipulate chicken genetics to create new traits.
The video also discusses the discovery of dinosaur cells in a T-Rex thigh bone, which suggests that it may be possible to extract DNA from dinosaur fossils. However, MatPat notes that the technology to map the dinosaur genome is still in its infancy, and that finding viable samples of dinosaur DNA is extremely challenging.
Despite these challenges, MatPat concludes that creating a hybrid dinosaur is theoretically possible, and that scientists may be able to use chicken DNA as a starting point. He also mentions that researchers have already been able to turn on dinosaur-like genes in birds, effectively bringing back some dinosaur traits.
The video ends with a tongue-in-cheek tournament, where viewers are asked to vote on which dinosaur hybrid would win in a fight.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The video game "Lego Jurassic World" allows players to extract dinosaur DNA and create hybrid dinosaurs.
2. Genetic hybridization is the process of crossing together DNA strands to create a new organism with desired traits.
3. People have been doing genetic hybridization for years, creating animals like cockapoos (a cross between a poodle and a cocker spaniel) and hypoallergenic cats.
4. Chickens are one of the closest modern relatives of dinosaurs.
5. Scientists have mapped the chicken genome and have used it to create genetically modified chickens with desired traits.
6. In 2003, a team of scientists discovered soft tissue and dinosaur blood vessels inside a 68-million-year-old T-Rex thigh bone.
7. Scientists have found that some dinosaur-like genes in birds are turned off in their modern form, and turning these genes back on could bring back some dinosaur traits.
8. Researchers have already created chickens with dinosaur-like traits, such as a dinosaur-like mouth instead of a beak.
9. The technology to create hybrid dinosaurs exists, but the main challenge is finding original dinosaur DNA to work with.
10. Scientists have found that even after 60 million years, some cells can still be found in dinosaur fossils, making it possible to extract DNA.
11. The chicken genome is one of the most well-studied genomes, and scientists have used it to understand the genetics of dinosaurs.
12. Geneticists have created animals with unusual traits, such as a cat that glows in the dark and a mouse that can chirp like a bird.
13. Scientists have isolated silk-making genes from spiders and inserted them into goats, creating goats that produce spider silk.
14. The process of creating a hybrid dinosaur would require mapping the genome of the desired dinosaurs, finding the genes that control the desired traits, and then combining those genes to create a new organism.