De-Extinction

What Is De-Extinction?

De-extinction is, quite simply, the reversal of the process of extinction. It is the creation of an organism that is, or satisfactorily resembles, an extinct one via back-breeding, cloning, or genetic engineering. The science of de-extinction is known as resurrection biology.

Methods

There are numerous ways to de-extinct an organism. The most well-known method among the general public is cloning. In de-extinction by cloning, a nucleus from the cell of an extinct species is placed into an egg from a related species. The cell is then prompted to divide and grow into an embryo. Due to a lack of preserved cellular material from many species, however, cloning is not often viable.

Back-breeding is also sometimes implemented in the process of de-extinction. With back-breeding, members of an extant species are selectively bred to resemble the phenotype of its extinct relative. This has been successfully implemented for a few recently extinct species such as the quagga, dire wolf, and aurochs.

Most often, genetic editing is used in de-extinction. Using CRISPR/Cas9 techniques, the DNA of a modern animal is directly edited to produce the appearance and behavior of an extinct one. This DNA may be sourced from DNA recovered from museum specimens or subfossil bones of the extinct model. If no original DNA survives, new DNA may be synthesized to produce a similar phenotype. The Thomas Henry Huxley Paleozoological Gardens specializes in this.

History of De-Extinction

The first successfully de-extincted animal was the Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), the mascot of the IDEA. In 2003, a team of scientists coordinated by the Food and Agricultural Investigation Service of Aragon resurrected a Pyrenean ibex by cloning the last original individual. This is the official beginning of the de-extinction movement. Not long after, the first animal de-extincted through genetic editing, a Steppe bison, was born. Further ground was broken in 2005, with the birth of the first de-extinct species created entirely through genetic engineering, and in 2006, with the birth of the first de-extinct Mesozoic species. From these humble beginnings, the global de-extinction movement has grown into one of the largest conservation initiatives in history.

Background image by Julio Lacerda, courtesy of Studio 252MYA.