De-extinction or pre-extinction? Resurrect “say wolves” of the Biotech Company to raise questions

American Biotech Company Colossal Biosciences has announced They created the “first world animal of the world”, using the ancient DNA and the gene editing technology to create hybrid puppies that call terrible spare wolves.

So far three snow white puppies have been born – two males and one female – and they are held in a position not disclosed in the northern United States, a region in which ancient terrible wolves probably wandered before extinguishing 13,000 years ago.

This is controversial For a series of reasons. First of all, the new animals are not true terrible wolves, they are hybrids that resemble extinct animals. The company made 20 changes out of 14 gray wolf genes to create specific features for terrible wolves, such as white coats, larger heads and longer fur. But gray wolves have more than 20,000 genes, so the new arrivals are still mostly gray wolves.

It is not known whether these animals will be able to reproduce each other.

The company also planned to report the woolly mammoth using modern elephants as a model. They have already done so Created a woolly mouse Changing the mouse genes with known woolly mammoth mutations. The company also said that the resuscitation of Dodo is exploring, using a chicken as a model.

In case of success, these so-called de-extinct animals will be unique in the world. However, while it would be an extraordinary experience to see a living woolly mammoth – or an elephant reminiscent of one – that animal could end like a strangeness in a zoo, prisoner and only for the rest of his life.

Colossal biosciences chief scientist Beth Shapiro said Quirks & Quarks via and -mail that it is not their intention.

“While there is something touching in a lonely mammoth that faces an altered planet, Colossal’s vision is definitely not so. Our approach focuses on the creation of populations practicable over time, not only the individual animals,” he wrote.

“To thrive these social groups, they need a place to live to which they are adapted. In the end, we do not need to recreate the lost species, but also to actively restore the aspects of their original ecosystems: filling conservation and restoration.”

A problem is that the environment of the glacial era that these animals lived no longer exists. The Arctic and the rest of the planet have warmed greatly since they lived it and the continuous trend today. This means that animals will have to adapt to a new environment or special habitats created to take care of them.

While the production of genetically modified animals that resemble extinct species is a new demonstration of the power of modern gene editing techniques, it would require enormous effort, including significant technological and millions-if not billion-dollar discoveries to report mammoth mammoths launch launch launch of floors launches.

There are also ethical considerationsconsidering that cloned animals have a low survival rate And there are serious risks for surrogate mothers.

It invites the question if these resources would be better used to stop the extinction of current species, that humans are guiding at an alarming rhythm. A Studio 2017 Found This, given limited conservation resources, the cost of the simple protection of animals that had been reported by extinction would mean the decline and the potential loss of several species that could currently be on the verge, leading to a clear loss of biodiversity.

These considerations are something we talked about Quirks & Quarks many times, even with Beth Shapiro itself.

Many scientists have suggested that we are now in what is known as the Sixth great extinction In the history of our planet – the previous one is the catastrophe that has put an end to the kingdom of dinosaurs. The species are hunted by existence from human activity, including the loss of their natural habitat and climate change. Some estimate that the current extinction rate is somewhere Between 1,000 and 10,000 times Above the natural extinction rate.

Colossal says their work will help with conservation efforts Returning back creatures whose ecosystem functions are now missing on the planet. But to stop the current extinction event will have large -scale effects compared to some refuges for wildlife for rare beasts.

Working on the pre-extinction side of the process could solve many other environmental problems that are also influencing human species.

After all, if we can simply stop destroying the environment and pushing these animals to the insurance, we will not have to worry about the ethics or the disputes that surround them by bringing them back from the dead.