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Should cloning bring back extinct species?
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Last update: 31-12-69 |
Submitted by
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We've all seen the Jurassic park films,where John Hammond recreates long extinct dinosaurs using DNA;& whilst in the case of dinosaurs the science is theoretically possible in practice I don't believe it would work.
But what about other species that are preserved in some way;could we bring them back by cloning?
Lets look at some other attempts to bring back species first,by selective breeding.There has been some success in this,in Poland there has been some success in recreating the Aurochs (ancestor of domestic cattle) & the Tarpan ( a wild horse) from existing primitive breeds by back breeding individuals showing the closest characteristics to these creatures.The result is a genetic copy of these species although,sad to say,not the actual species themselves.Something similar is being attempted in South Africa to recreate the Quagga,an extinct type of zebra,again with some success.
But these attempts are primarily to do with genetic manipulation,not with cloning per se.What if,by using DNA retrieved from preserved specimens,we could return species made extinct by man to life? I for one,am intrigued by the possibility.In addition to work being undertaken by the Indian government to clone cheetahs of the Asian subspecies to repopulate the wild,& the Chinese project to clone pandas,there are various other projects afoot,to clone the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) the Huia.one of the species of Moa from New Zealand & the Bucardo mountain goat .
I think it behoves us,having removed many of these species from nature,to at least try to return them to the world in some way.However,there will be difficulties.A recent attempt to implant a Gaur clone into a domestic cow was succesful but the calf died after two days.
Let me make one thing clear,however;although I am curious about attempts to clone creatures such as wooly mammoths (I believe,thought,they have been unable to get any viable DNA),I do not see what benefit this can be to the world other than providing a freak show.Were we able to clone a mammoth,or a wooly rhino,or a sabre toothed tiger,or even a Tyrannosaur,we have to be very clear.These are creatures which became extinct naturally.Whilst it may be possible to bring them back to life should we?All they could be are zoo exhibits,their recreation would have nothing to offer from a conservationists point of view.They would be scientific curiosities,nothing more.
I do think,that as man becomes more environmentally aware,that a case can be made for cloning from extinct species where possible.Our Victorian ancestors had almost a mania for taxidermy & in many cases DNA has been obtained from museum specimens.Sadly,at present,any animals cloned by this means would be better kept in captive breeding programmes.It would be excellent to see Stellers Sea Cows & Great Auks in the Atlantic again,but we need to ensure that the environment is there for them.
Another difficulty I foresee is the extremely restricted genetic base that will arise from such cloning.Could we produce enough individuals with sufficient diversity to maintain a breeding population in the wild? Could we also find species closely enough related to act as surrogates;in some cases,such as the Passenger pigeon,I do not believe this to be a problem;but were we to try cloning Stellers Sea Cows,bearing in mind the rarity of their nearest relatives,can we justify using already rare individuals to bring back a lost species whilst theirs is on the line?
As cloning technology improves I believe we should try to use it to return some of the species we have wiped out,until perhaps some day we can return them to the wild;we should not waste time trying to bring back species which died out naturally.
I am not concerned with religious arguments for or against using this technology;but if we can use it to return something to the world which we have taken away we should.If you disagree;well,thats up to you.Just don't bother me with your opinions,but write a rebuttal of this if you wish.
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