Is It Possible to Bring Back Extinct Animal Species?
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Humanity has been dealing with natural life for thousands of years.
We’ve been remarkably good at that too – we’ve ever changed bacteria to produce drugs, created crops with established pesticides, and even glow in the dark dog.
However, despite our many successes in genetic engineering, one thing we’re still working on is bringing extinct animals back to life.
But scientists has working on it. In fact, there’s a whole field of biology that focuses on reviving extinct species.
Using published data Science Newsthis chart provides a brief introduction to the fascinating field of science known as resurrection biology – or extinction.
Benefits of Extinction
First of all – what’s the point of bringing back extinct animals?
There are a number of research benefits that come with extinction. For example, some scientists believe that studying formerly extinct animals and looking at how they functioned can help fill some of the gaps in our current theories of evolution.
Extinction can also have a beneficial effect on the environment. This is because when an animal goes extinct, its absence has a rippling effect on all the flora and fauna included in that animal’s food web.
Therefore, reintroducing formerly extinct species into their ancient ecosystems can help rebalance and restore unstable environments.
There is even a possibility that extinction could slow global warming. Scientist Sergei Zimov He believes that if we bring a woolly mammoth-like animal back to the tundra, it could help repopulate the area, regrowth of ancient plains and possibly slow it down. melting of glaciers.
How does it work?
The key element required to recreate a species is its DNA.
Unfortunately, DNA gradually degrades, and once it’s completely gone, there’s no way to save it. Researchers believe DNA has a half-life 521 yearsafter saturday 6.8 million yearsIt is believed to be completely gone.
That’s why species like dinosaurs have almost no chance of extinction. However, many more recently extinct organisms, such as dodomay have a chance to be protected.
When it comes to extinction, three main techniques:
① Cloning
It’s the only way to create a complete DNA copy of something.
However, this requires a complete genome, so this type of genetic rescue is most effective for recently lost species or endangered species.
② Genome Editing
Genome editing is the manipulation of DNA to mimic extinct DNA.
There are several ways to do this, but in general the process involves researchers manipulating the genomes of living species to create a new species very similar to an extinct species.
Because the extinct species does not have an exact copy of its DNA, this method will only create a hybrid species that resembles the extinct animal.
③ Reproductive
A form of reproduction in which a distinctive feature from an extinct species (horn or color pattern) is restored to living populations.
This requires that the feature still exists in similar genres with a certain frequency, and the feature is selectively repopulated.
Like genome editing, this method does not resurrect an extinct species, but resurrects the DNA and genetic diversity that gave extinct species their distinctiveness.
Is It Really Worth It To Bring Back Extinct Animal Species?
While there is a lot of buzz and potential around the idea of bringing back extinct animal species, there are a few critics who believe our efforts would be better spent on other things.
Research economy of extinction He found that money would go even further if invested in conservation programs for living species – about two to eight times more species could be saved if invested in existing talk programs.
Inside an article inside ScienceJoseph Bennett, a biologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, said, “if [a] The billionaire is only interested in bringing back a species from the dead, giving it strength.”
Bennett added, “However, if that billionaire means it in terms of biodiversity conservation, then that’s dishonest. Many species that can now be saved with the same resources are on the verge of extinction.”
