Many believe our future is in space, where one day humans will live across the solar system.

Looking back, we see evidence of a wild planet where giant creatures once roamed, only to fall in the face of natural disasters that shaped the Earth we know today.

What might we learn from the potential success or failure of resurrecting a species?

It's a delicate balance -- and as we've also learned, life finds a way.

Back to the future

The scientific efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth, which went extinct 4,000 years ago, just got a $15 million boost.

A group of geneticists led by Harvard Medical School's George Church envisions the mammoth once again roaming its natural habitat.

The goal is to use genetic engineering to create a living elephant-mammoth hybrid that looks just like a woolly mammoth.

But the thought of being up close with a once-extinct creature is a tantalizing one.

We are family

If you ever wondered what our Stone Age ancestors wore, you might think about the draped furs of "The Flintstones." The actual evidence for when humans began wearing clothes is sparse.

Researchers found bone tools used to process animal skins in a Moroccan cave.

Dripping tree resin trapped female spiders and baby spiderlings in amber about 99 million years ago, forever showcasing the fierce protectiveness still seen in spider mothers today.

This extinct bird with tail feathers 150% longer than its body was likely a clumsy flier, but flashy feathers might have helped him find a mate.

Sometimes, history's mysteries are hidden inside a living creature -- like the prehistoric artifacts found deep in the belly of this massive alligator.

Oh, so fly.

-- These game-changing experiments could help humans travel across deep space -- and they were designed by students.

And don't forget to keep an eye out for the full harvest moon on Monday evening.

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