I, for one, would love the chance to see a live mammoth, or a mastadon. As for a Neanderthal, while we may call the dear boy "Neanderthal Man", a man is one thing he wasn't. So no need to hand wring, either for you or the church.

It's unfortunate that we can't learn very much about Neanderthal speech or society just from making one in a lab-- speech is taught, and customs are too. But we'd learn more than we would otherwise.

What's interesting is that the Neanderthal was a biological dead end, unless, as some claim, they were simply absorbed into our population. If that's not the case, then they went the way of the saber tooth, and we don't know why. Maybe seeing one might help us understand the why of that puzzle, at least.

I feel slightly ashamed, but I agree. I think it would fascinating!

Yep, it would be fascinating.

Is it possible the Neanderthal could lead a fulfilling life? I suspect so. I sincerely doubt he would have trouble finding a girlfriend given his likely fame and wealth. On the other hand, a female Neanderthal would be subject to all sorts of classmate taunting and body image problems. Bulemic Neanderthal girl addicted to plastic surgery and daily full body hair removal treatments? Doesn't sound good.

Personally, I would love to see the cloned mammoth or mastodon, and any other prehistoric megafauna (cave bears, perhaps?) that could be recreated.

I have mixed emotions about Neanderthals. Albeit that Homo Sapiens Sapeins and Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis are believed to be separate species -- that isn't etched in stone. One theory is that the neanderthal were absorbed in to the modern man/cro-magnon man bloodline. This would mean, at least, interspecies fertility, which is rare. The other implication is that there is no difference -- neanderthals are human/humans are neanderthals.

I'd love to see a living neaderthal, but the outcome of that entity's life wouldn't necessarily be a happy one. Witness the life of "the last wild Indian" -- Ishi, the last surviving member of the Yahi tribe. Although this entry from Wikipedia <link> indicates he lived his final years in "contentment" I've read other accounts that he battled depression, and he ultimately died of tuberculosis, a "white man's disease." One thing is certain, a Neanderthal would be intelligent enough to understand his surroundings and to communicate in some way, even if not vocally (there's a lot of debate). I'm not certain it would be humane to raise a neanderthal child "in captivity" as it were.

Like I said, I have mixed emotions. I make a possible non-viable distinction between animals such as mastodons, and people. I tend to think a Neanderthal is a lot closer to the latter than the former.

DuckworkerMike:

What's interesting is that the Neanderthal was a biological dead end, unless, as some claim, they were simply absorbed into our population.

I think this is very possible. I've seen people that look like neanderthals.

Plus I bet they taste like chicken!

"I tend to think a Neanderthal is a lot closer to (humans) than (mastodons)."

Erm...having hands vs. having a trunk? Hard to argue that unless you think humans, are a special creation, the only creature with a soul. Neanderthals are at least our siblings so don't we need to clone one to see if it has a soul? And if it does, what about our cousins the apes and monkeys?

Bsharp: You raise valid questions to which I simply have no answers. For reasons that I can only describe as irrational, I'm more apprehensive about cloning a living neanderthal than I am about cloning a living mammoth. Call me squeamish. Whatever my objection is, it isn't based on a soul or a lack of soul. I've met some pretty soul-less human beings, but I once had a dog I'm convinced had more soul than most people.

I think there is a global moratorium on human cloning so I'll have to guess your squeamishness is based on a rather universal thinking in our species.