The Enduring Fascination with Dinosaurs and De-extinction

Dinosaurs have always been around in the human imagination. Whether it is through blockbusters like Jurassic Park or contemporary attempts at de-extincting animals like Woolly Mammoths, Dodos, and Dire Wolves, humans seem to retain an interest in bringing extinct life back into existence. In light of ongoing research into this possibility, there are discussions within the scientific and biotechnology communities regarding the potential of extinction reversal using advanced technologies like genetic engineering and cloning, and even Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology. What draws humans to revive extinct species is, among other things, curiosity, nostalgia, scientific aspiration, and even climate concerns. Alongside all of these positive aspects lies ethical consideration regarding biodiversity and human intervention in natural processes.

The enduring human fascination with Dinosaurs and de-extinction

Man has been drawn to gigantic animals since time immemorial, and none other fits this definition than dinosaurs. Prehistoric beasts have become part of our culture via books, films, and museums featuring large skeletons of these animals. Many see dinosaurs as symbols of awe, dominance and a world beyond civilisation. The movie Jurassic Park was the beginning of a revolution in public opinion. It portrayed the exciting prospect of bringing back prehistoric animals via scientific manipulation of ancient DNA. While everyone acknowledges the impossibility of recovering dinosaur DNA due to its deterioration over time, the idea itself fueled public interest in de-extinction science. Biotech firms like Colossal Biosciences are already attempting to resurrect some extinct animals, such as the woolly mammoth, dodo bird, and thylacine, using genetics. According to an interview featured in Nature, Ben Lamm, the CEO of Colossal Biosciences, noted that the firm was inspired to take on the task to inspire future generations amid declining biodiversity levels.

Why scientists want to revive extinct species

The notion of de-extinction can no longer be classified solely under the category of science fiction. Specialists from MUSE: The Science Museum, Trento, Italy, emphasise that such technology could become useful in ecosystem restoration and the protection of endangered species. Among different possibilities, specialists consider cloning, genome editing, and stem cell research as potential options for achieving de-extinction goals. Certain scientists also point out that reintroduced animals could contribute to improving biodiversity and ecological balance. For instance, Wyss Core Faculty member George Church, the Harvard geneticist and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences at TEDx, organised by National Geographic, exploring the revival of extinct species and reintroducing them, has made several statements on how gene editing technologies would allow the conservation of living species. Thus, innovations used for extinct species might also help protect endangered living animals. Apart from this, emotional motives cannot be ignored in considering the issue of revival. Humans became the cause of species extinction by destroying their habitats, hunting them, and inducing global warming. Therefore, some specialists believe that humans have a moral duty to reverse what was done. Ben Lamm also emphasised that humans should undertake any actions to counter the negative effects produced due to the human factor.

The ethical debate around Dinosaur resurrection and de-extinction

Although there are enthusiastic views on the revival of extinct species, most scientists do not believe in de-extinction. Some researchers claim that it would steal valuable resources which can be used for preserving currently endangered species. Though a scientist from the Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Vincent J. Lynch, suggests that animals that were revived will hardly survive in the modern environment, as it has significantly evolved since those species became extinct. Animal welfare, commercialisation, and the unpredictable effects of creating genetically modified living creatures are additional ethical problems. There is one more fact which cannot be ignored: dinosaurs cannot possibly be revived due to the millions of years passed since they existed. The DNA of an extinct species gets destroyed and is not preserved; therefore, there is no genome of any dinosaur in the modern world. Most attempts of de-extinction refer to recently extinct animals with preserved genomes. Nevertheless, the fascination with the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life continues since it appeals to people and represents a certain human need to make up for losses, beat nature, and relive the ancient period of life.