(LibertySociety.com) – As technology advances, the possibility of splicing DNA strands to resurrect an extinct creature becomes less akin to science fiction and more in line with science fact. Several scientists are now exploring the idea of resurrecting woolly mammoths as part of an initiative to allow them to walk the Arctic tundra again.
When Jurassic Park hit theaters in 1993, audiences were in awe of the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life. So, it comes as no surprise scientists are close to making that dream a reality. Only, instead of bringing back dinosaurs, the genetics company Colossal wants to resurrect a version of the woolly mammoth that died out 10,000 years ago.
Scientists have announced $15 million in funding for a project to combine woolly mammoth DNA with that of Asian elephants to create calves that can walk the Arctic tundra. pic.twitter.com/MX9EUeEP29
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 14, 2021
The company recently raised $15 million to back the project that would mix Asian elephant DNA with the extinct woolly mammoth. The de-extinction of the species is hoping to arm the endangered elephant with traits to help it survive cold environments. Not only that, but the company wants to use the new creation to restore Arctic grasslands and combat climate change.
If the project is successful, it will take at least six years to produce a calf, and there’s no way to tell if the creature will perform the way scientists hope. Even if it does, the likelihood of positively transforming the changing environmental landscape in time is thin. So, while it may be exciting for people to see a live woolly mammoth, it may be best to let sleeping ancestral elephants lie.
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