Extinct Species Essay

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Cheating Nature: Should Humans Bring Back Extinct Species? Modern-day genetic technology has granted mankind with the opportunity to bring back extinct species from the dead. If humans have come to possess the DNA from an extinct animal population, it is possible to create an identical clone of the animal in question, effectively “bringing it back from the dead”. Many ethical dilemmas surround the practice of de-extinction, and rightfully so. Recreating an extinct species could produce groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, generating exciting opportunities for future genetics-based research. However, there could also be monumental consequences: the newly revived, once-extinct species might destroy the ecological equilibrium of modern Earth …show more content…

Who wouldn’t want to see a Wooly Mammoth traipsing across the tundra, or see witness and laugh at the odd sized Dodo Bird? Although the spectacle of witnessing such animals is certainly fascinating, it is this attitude that makes the practice of de-extinction, in my opinion, morally incorrect. Reviving a species solely for entertainment purposes is inhumane. And due to the fact that releasing a revived species into the wild could be disastrous, the animals would have to reside in zoos, where humans could gawk at them for the rest of their lives. And if they escaped, well, we might have a Jurassic Park situation in our …show more content…

Oftentimes, though, the clones die upon birth. In 2003, the first de-extinct animal was born- a type of ibex that went extinct in 2000 (BBC). The baby died minutes after birth due to an abnormality in the lungs, but the scientists weren’t concerned; after dissecting the baby to see what went wrong, they decided to start all over again.
In spite of the overwhelming amount of negative speculation, the practice of de-extinction might potentially produce some positive ramifications. According to Stewart Brand, a writer for National Geographic, humans should bring back extinct species “to preserve biodiversity, to restore diminished ecosystems...and to undo harm that humans have caused in the past.” If humans were to tamper with nature and bring back an extinct animal, desolate ecosystems which previously thrived, such as deserted islands, could be partially restored through their

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