De-Extinction

Wouldn’t it be cool to see a real life woolly mammoth roam free in the wild one day? Well some day that might be possible.“Experts predict that in as early as 15 years from now they will be able to revive some animals successfully back to existence” (Stanford News). Scientists should used de-extinction to bring some species of animals back from the grave because it could introduce new materials into the world as well as new drugs and medications, it could advance science in so many ways, and the animals could be great benefactors to the environment.

The first benefit would be in the field of medicine and being able to have materials we haven’t been able to have. Most medicines aren’t derived from artificial things, they often are derived from natural things like some plants, and in some cases, animals (Neatorama). These advancements in medical science could be used to cure diseases we couldn’t have before, such as cancer, aids, and other incurable diseases. Another medical mystery that could be solved is the enigma of why some women are unable to have a child. The research they were doing on the gastric brooding frog before it mysteriously disappeared into extinction was on the frogs mysterious reproduction process (The Oklahoma Daily). Studying this could unlock the mystery of why some women can’t carry a child. These animals could also provide materials that we could use for clothing and other useful materials (Northeastern News). For example, the hide off a woolly mammoth could provide excellent comfort and warmth. Also, we could harvest the meat off of some animals providing more food for our population. Of course all of this would have to be regulated so we don’t risk putting the species back to extinction.

Secondly, bringing a species successfully back to life would provide critical knowledge into how the species even went extinct in the first place. “This knowledge could help us preserve some species that are endangered to becoming extinct” (Northeastern News). The reason the extinct species was abolished might be the same reason that some species now are becoming endangered. So if we reveal why the extinct species died off, we could hopefully stop the other species from becoming obsolete. In Hank Greeley’s article in Stanford News he states that, “In his opinion the greatest reason for de-extinction is the ‘wonder factor’” (Greely/Stanford News). Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park demonstrates the wonder factor perfectly.The objective for the “theme park” manager in the novel is to charge money for admittance to see his “attractions”. These “attractions” are the wonder factor of the park. The final reason it could help science is it would allow further research of other species we were researching before they went extinct (Discovery News).

Lastly, de-extinction would do tremendous loads of good to the environment. For example, “the frozen tundra in Siberia wasn’t always like that. Scientists predict that when the woolly mammoth roamed free, the icy tundra today was a fertile grassland” (National Geographic Magazine). The animals helped churn up the soil and fertilize the land with their manure. Now scientists are conducting experiments by bringing horses and other non-native species to Siberia, and the results have been great. The icy tundra is slowly but steadily turning into the fertile grassland it was before. Plants could also be revived. Some plants could be used as a food source for both us humans and some animals. It would decrease the rivalry for food among some organisms therefore helping the population survive. Another reason to bring a species back it to promote “biodiversity” (Scientific American). Biodiversity is the diversity between plant and animal species in an environment. Bringing these certain species into a natural habitat could keep the ecosystem healthy and flourishing. The last reason why it could help the environment is a huge one: it could possibly end global warming. The herbivores that they release into the wild will keep the grass short in summer and fall, and when winter comes it will flatten the snow (Scientific American/Sergey Zimov). If they didn’t flatten the snow it would insulate the ground so when it thaws it would release harmful greenhouse gasses which would keep the heat inside the atmosphere and magnify it therefore heating the planet. These animals could prevent this planet wide crisis.

There are many good reasons to use de-extinction, however, some people do not favor this process. There are many arguments against it, but here are some of the main ones. A number of people state that we are “playing God” by bringing a species back into existence (Northeastern News).They think that only God can control what is brought into the world and what leaves. Others argue that it is simply “unnatural” (Stanford News). Some people think that it is just simply weird to bring an animal back from the dead. Experts not in favor of de-extinction also bring up some possible problems, like if the animal could be a carrier for a deadly disease, or if the organism threatens a nearby ecosystem (Stanford News). These problems affect everybody in or around the area where the species is located.

The great woolly mammoth may return to walk the earth one day, and what a great day that will be for everyone. De-extinction has so many benefits to humanity and it needs to be done. Extinction is no longer forever.