Have you heard there is a company trying to bring back the Woolly Mammoth? Whether you have or haven’t, you are probably thinking how I thought… “yea right”. But the scientists at Colossal Biosciences are claiming that Woolly Mammoths will roam the earth again within the next 4 years! *Insert head explosion emoji* Colossal Biosciences posted on their Instagram a picture of a baby elephant in gestation with the title: “2028 can’t come fast enough”. Does this mean what we think it means?
Colossal Biosciences is a company that focuses on helping animals that are on the verge of de-extinction by using stem cell research. They use those same efforts to create science that will bring back extinct animals. Specifically, when it comes to Woolly Mammoths, they believe these large beasts will help to slow down the melting of the arctic permafrost, caused by greenhouse gasses (reference: https://colossal.com/mammoth/). During their time, Mammoths serviced as geo-engineers that trampled mosses and shrubs, allowing natural arctic grasslands to thrive and then slow down the melting process.
Without bogging you down with the science, this has been possible because of stem cell research and the breakthrough of these scientists unlocking the ability to reprogram the stem cells from Asian elephants (the species they believe is most closely related to the Mammoth). Now they have the ability to create an elephant sperm and egg that they can reprogram it to add the features of a Woolly Mammoth that allowed them to survive in their arctic climates (https://www.livescience.com/animals/extinct-species/woolly-mammoth-de-extinction-inches-closer-after-elephant-stem-cell-breakthrough).
Still with me so far? I know it is a lot of science but in layman’s terms “We use the DNA to fill in the holes and complete the code!” – ok so that is actually Mr. DNA’s line from the first Jurassic Park, but you get where I’m going.
As a Sci-fi book/movie lover, and a huge fan of the most amazing Sci-Fi author of all time (in my humble opinion) Mr. Michael Crichton (RIP), who wrote Jurassic Park and Lost World (I’ve read both), I find this so fascinating. To see us be able to not only de-extinct animals that paved pivotal roles to the health of our world but to also use that technology to save current animals on the verge of extinction like the Asian elephants and white rhinos, is a noble effort!
Although I am a huge fan of this I have to admit that my son (who is infatuated with the Jurassic Park movies and dinosaurs in general – I wonder where he gets that from), stated “What are they thinking? Didn’t they see Jurassic Park? When will they learn?”. While my husband and I laughed at the musings of a 10 year old…he’s actually right.
“You know, at times like this one feels, well, perhaps extinct animals should be left extinct.” This quote from Ian Malcom, the witty, sarcastic, self-absorbed Chaos scientist visiting Jurassic Park, begs the thought, if an animal becomes extinct, it must have happened for a reason – right?
All things happen for a reason and so therefore we shouldn’t try to change what was. Or should we if we can? How wrong could it be to bring back a prehistoric animal that helps the ecosystem (and won’t get loose and eat human kind)? Will bringing them back ensue other problems on a world that has resumed life as normal without their existence? These are all the questions that run through this over thinking brain of mine, which means, I don’t know what the correct answer is.
Continuing the Conversation:
How do you feel about these de-extinction efforts? Are you thrilled? Are you cautious? Or maybe you feel like my son and say, “haven’t you learned from the past?” What implications do you think this could have? Or is your sci-fi loving brain thinking of the cool possibilities?
Let me know in the comments how you feel! I would LOVE to have a discussion about this!