Bringing back extinct animals was a concept that was commonly thought to be a fictional fantasy, an infamous example being The Jurassic Park films. But recently, the idea has been brought to reality through de-extinction, which is the process of generating an organism that belongs to or closely resembles an animal that has previously gone extinct.
One of the methods that can be utilised in the process of de-extinction is genome editing, which allows scientists to create hybrids of extinct and living organisms. This can be done by editing the genome sequence within the cells of a living organism so that it closely resembles that of a related extinct species. Another method is cloning, which is done through extracting the nucleus from preserved somatic cells of the extinct species and fusing them with egg cells that belong to a closely related living species that acts as a surrogate.
A number of scientists believe that studying extinct animals and how they function could likely fill gaps in current theories regarding evolution. Advancements in de-extinction technologies may even lead to being able to prevent endangered species from becoming extinct. Bringing back extinct species to their habitats would also benefit other plant and animal species within that ecosystem by restoring vital functions that the species used to perform.
Opponents of de-extinction argue that focusing on de-extinction could reduce the moral concerns for current endangered species by giving somewhat false impressions that they can be easily revived. Another factor is that many extinct species were driven out of existence due to habitat loss, and other species used to live in habitats that have altered dramatically since then.
The study of de-extinction is ever evolving and although it could increase bio-diversity and restore lost eco-systems, the risks of unsuccessful environmental management may outweigh these benefits.
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