Nothing dies without a trace: human memory kept their image …
The technology of today is already ahead of any science fiction we read yesterday! Archeogeneticists from the National University of Bilboa (Patagonia) have been successful in cloning the so-called "European dragons". Such a reptile hatched from an egg for the first time since the early Middle Ages (according to the most conservative estimates). Otherwise, as a scientific miracle, it simply cannot be called …
An international team of scientists led by French professor Den Eries has woven DNA fragments of the extinct lizard Draco girionus into the cells of the cayman lizard, which is the closest living relatives of the extinct creature. It is noteworthy that it was decided to make the African ostrich the "mother of dragons", since only this bird could bear an egg of the required size.
The hatched creature, according to Professor Eris, is genetically fully consistent with this type of creature, which became extinct about 900 years ago (according to other sources - even 1500 years ago). The DNA of D. Imaginaries was obtained from a clutch of eggs well preserved in the peat bogs of Bessarabia and discovered by Austro-Hungarian scientists from the Imperial Institute of Archeology in the distant 1913. However, a sample of the eggs was lost and for some time they were considered lost (it is known, in particular, that they were hunted by agents of "Ahnenerbe" in the period 1943-1944), until finally they were found in 1971 in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. George (Buenos Aires). Only 30 years later, they were transferred into the hands of geneticists.
In addition to eggs, archaeologists have found only a few fragments of the "dragon" skeleton: a piece of a shin bone, a fragment of a bone base and a hole from the orbit. Fortunately, the DNA has survived, which can be considered a great success for science.
Thanks to these fragments, as well as some written evidence of a bygone era, scientists have reconstructed the approximate appearance of a reptile. The large body and massive head was crowned with horny growths. The creature also boasted sharp teeth and scales for added protection. It dwelt, apparently, on the banks of reservoirs and skillfully swim. It is worth noting that the legends about the "Serpent Gorynych" (known from fairy tales), apparently, were not born out of nothing … Because if you compare the 3D image modeled by scientists with the legends, you can pick up a lot of analogies.
Around the 5th-7th centuries. AD this species, which previously lived mainly in the territories of Eastern and Central Europe, is apparently dying out. But individual copies may have been able to survive (judging by the testimony of the chronicles) up to the XI century.
Note that this is not the first such success of geneticists. So, recently in South Africa "resurrected" a relative of the zebra, extinct more than 100 years ago. In the nearest plans of geneticists - mammoths and cave lions.
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Videos of cloned "dragons":
