You know the story of Jurassic Park right? Meddling scientists bring back dinosaurs from extinction, havoc ensues… But it’s just a story. Isn’t it? Well yes, but maybe not for much longer. We might be closer to bringing back extinct life forms than you’d think. In fact, it’s been done before! In 2003, scientists in Europe brought back the Pyrenean Ibex, a type of goat that had gone extinct a few years before. Alas, the newborn only lasted a few minutes before the species went extinct for a second time! Meanwhile, an Australian-based team is coming close to “de-extincting” a type of frog. But how do they do it? The approach changes, but some have used similar species to “back-breed” an extinct one, while some teams are using cloning, stem cells and even gene editing. A team at the Harvard Medical School are using gene editing to edit the genes of a mammoth into the cells of an elephant!
It should be said though, that on a genetic level, these resurrected animals won’t be exactly the same as their predecessors.
As for dinosaurs? Sadly (or thankfully) it’s impossible. To “de-extinct” a species, we need its DNA, and despite what Jurassic Park says, dino DNA disappeared a long time ago.
