Can scientists build dinosaurs like they did in "Jurassic Park"?

(Lansing State Journal, December 27,1995)

The genetic engineers in Jurassic Park used DNA cloning technology to recreate the extinct dinosaurs.  DNA is a long chain of four kinds of molecules that is found in the cells of all living things.  The order of these molecules is a code (much like Morse code) that serves as an instruction manual that cells use to live and reproduce.

The movie's scientists took dinosaur blood from the stomachs of ancient mosquitoes which were caught in prehistoric tree sap.  This sap crystallized and trapped the insects, keeping the blood preserved until scientists extracted it.  The computers then analyzed the segments of DNA and filled in any missing spots with the DNA from frogs.

As real as the movies make it seem, this is not yet possible and may never be.  There are several reasons for this.  First, the DNA chain is much too long to fill in all the blanks.  There are billions of instructions contained in the DNA chain.  Second, the DNA only keeps for about 50,000 years.  Over time it disintegrates, making it harder to read.  At more than 100 million years old, it is almost impossible to reconstruct these chains.

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