Did you know that somewhere between 30 and 159 species disappear every day? And since year 1500, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians vanished around 300 types each. Now, Science wants to bring them back to life. Are we ready for this?
For decades, science fiction has always enticed and amazed us on the big screen; however, UCSB ecologist Douglas McCauley and Benjamin Halpern have recently published a list of criteria hovered on the scientific fringes. It is about time for scientists to do research and be funded on discovering things like this.
They now believe that there is "resurrection" that they think might help the ecosystem. An ecologist from Santa Barbara UCSB gave a press release on the fascination of the idea of resurrection or that it could bring species back to life; which specifically can help the planet's ecosystem.
Woolly Mammoth, a hairy and close relative to the elephant that lived in the Artic would most likely be the first in line. Next to the list is a passenger pigeon, a grayish small bird with pinkish red breast that was found in North America. These two were highly recommended to be the first for this venture due to the fact that the mammoth died 4000 years ago and the pigeon around 1900 years ago.
There are three main methods on how to de-extinct species. First is called backbreeding that involves finding traces of traits similarity. Breeding is the common term, an approach that might lead them to that specific breed.
The second is cloning, an option to take preserved cell tissues from an extinct breed then swap this nucleus into an egg from the animal's closest cells. We now have surrogate species.
Lastly, genetic engineering. Researchers will gather all closest living relative of the specimen genes and implant it into a living species, relatively closest and grow it in an artificial womb.
McCauley says. "For a long time it was easy to just put it aside because the technology wasn't there," he says. "But I don't think we can do that anymore." This means that science would no longer be categorically fiction.
