Jenny Thang
Hardy
Bio1010
18 April 2013
Journal 3
Back then, de-extinction was thought to be science fiction, like Jurassic Park,
bringing animals back to life that has been gone for thousands of years. Now things
have changed, scientist can bring extinct animals back to life, but the big question
they have is should they bring them back to life?
Bringing extinct animals back to life is not the easiest thing. In the video,
“Recipe for Resurrection,” from National geographic, stated specifically what
scientists do to resurrect animals. “First scientist assemble a complete genome by
collecting, sequencing and connecting fragments of DNA from museum specimen.
Then they compare the DNA from a closely genetically related to the extinct animal..
Next the scientist identifies and synthesizes mutations, unique to the related
animal’s features to become like the extinct animal. Swapping DNA with the related
animal’s stem cells creates the extinct animal stem cell, and then the stem cell is
created to germ cells that are inserted in the egg and sperm of the related animal.
The related animals will have offspring that carry the extinct animal’s DNA then
when those offspring mate, they will have the “extinct” animals.” The process is very
long and complicated but is all this hard work worth it?
Bringing these animals back to life there are advantages and disadvantages.
Some advantages are scientist being successful, showing people that it is possible to
bring extinct animals to life is possible. Give scientist a chance to study how animals
are related to each other and study why animals evolve. Some disadvantages are it
may take too long to resurrect and it might cost a lot.
When I heard that de-extinction was possible, I thought of all the advantages
it would give us. It would give scientist and people answers with how animals can
come from the same decent group but appear different. I believe it would be
amazing to bring all of the extinct animals back to life, but is it possible to bring all
animals back? Scientist can only bring back extinct animals with DNA that still
exists. Dinosaurs are impossible to bring back because they have no trace of DNA.
I would be nice to bring them back but what would be do with them? We can
study them and make a population with each species but are they beneficial to the
earth today? Some say that humans have caused thousands of animals to become
extinct, but I believe it is just the circle of life. Humans cause not all extinct animals,
it could be from other animals or from the environment, and some animals can
become extinct because of the weather, natural disasters, food source or out
numbered by predators.
Comparing the earth today and the earth 60,000 years ago, the environment
today it not suitable for the extinct animals. The earth does not have big empty land
for the animals to live on like it did before. The rain forests are not as big and the
water is not clean for them to drink without getting sick.
I think it would be amazing to bring these animals back to study but we
would have to consider what we would do with them such as shelter and food
source.