Friday 27 February 2009 Extinct Animals brought back again?
It could happen sooner than you might think. We already know that Mammoth DNA has been recovered, but that is only half the challenge in bringing back an extinct species of animal. Other considerations have to be a proper carrier (you cannot implant a mammoth egg into a mouse and expect that to work!) along with an undamaged amount of DNA. However, thanks to advances in the processes of decoding DNA it is now possible, even probable, that we could bring back extinct species of many different animals – and help those that are on the very brink of destruction right now. Although cloning would be an issue in gene shallowing, it is possible to mate the clones with wholly unique individuals, or bring back several different individuals and that way avoid the issues of just having a bunch of genetically identical animals. Although some technological advances still need to be made – we are at the brink of being able to do it within this next decade, and we could see the rise of the mammoth from the ashes of our distant past in which we hunted them to annihilation. One of the more controversial mammals that could be brought back is one that we are related to – and helped to cause the extinction of by filling their ecological niche, and they would pose a very hard ethical question too. Homo neanderthalis or Neanderthals as we call them. Neanderthals were and are not an ancestor of ours, but a closely related offshoot of an originator before us and them. If we were to bring back Man’s closest relative, what kind of ethical nightmare would that make? It might be somewhat of a major issue bringing back a human cousin that is not of the same species as us. They have been extinct for nearly 25,000 years.
Another animal that could be brought back is a more recent victim of extinction, but also a very powerful predator in its day, the Short-face bear. This monstrosity is a third larger than the Polar Bear, and would weigh more than a tone. It is feasible as there are existing frozen specimens. Another fearsome creature that science could unleash is the Sabre-toothed tiger, a large carnivore that killed by going right for the jugular if recent science and research is correct. Another large creature, but not a carnivore, would be the Glyptodon – a nearly tank sized armadillo (well, tank sized for the small armadillo anyways). Other ancients that could be brought back include the Irish Elk, and the Giant Ground Sloth, which would both serve as something of a less controversial emergence.
Some more recent passings which were wrought by man are the Tasmanian Tigers. Extinct in 1936 by the will of man alone, they could be brought back and fill an ecological niche voided when the last one died in a zoo. Another possibility is the old Dodo, of which a good specimen exists. The Dodo was hunted exclusively by man when found, and the accounts of the deaths of the last known are recorded for all of posterity from the year 1690. There is also the possibility of bringing back yet another avian – the moa. The moa was a large flightless bird that lived in New Zealand, and several eggs are well preserved in the mountain caves of New Zealand.
Picture of the dodo by Ballista, licensed under GFDL You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook
Recent study shows that Homo neanderthalensis went extinct from competition.