Concept: De-extinction
Source: A Policy Forum piece in Science (April 5, 2013), titled: “What If Extinction Is Not Forever?“
Technology: Three approaches.
- Back-breeding is possible where genetic variants homologous to extinct species exist in surviving species.
- Cloning, as by using somatic cell nuclear transfer from an extinct subspecies (i.e. with other extant subspecies).
- Genetic engineering, as by editing the genome of a related species.
Applications: There are existing projects for each of these technologies.
- Back-breeding of aurochs, which are the ancestors of domestic cattle. Aurorchs inhabited Eurasia and North Africa, and became extinct last of all in Europe in 1627.
- Cloning of Pyrenean ibex, which became extinct in 2000, and which is one of four Spanish ibex subspecies. Of hundreds of attempts using SCNT, one fetus was brought to term, and which died minutes after birth due to lung abnormalities (due to a limitation of technology).
- Genetic engineering of the band-tailed pigeon to de-extinct the passenger pigeon. The passenger pigeon went from being one of the most abundant birds in the world (19th century) to becoming extinct by massive hunting (they were marketed as the cheap meat), absolutely by 1914.
