Sorry, Jurassic Park fans: Scientists focusing de-extinction genetics on saving living species

De-extinction is based on the concept that extinction need not be forever. One way to save those animals and plants that we thought were already lost is via genomic techniques, which can link molecular biology and conservation.

The image of dinosaurs walking the modern-day Earth may be enough to turn some people on or off the idea immediately. But for a myriad of reasons, these great beasts of the long distant past aren’t among the immediate candidates for de-extinction.

Instead, creatures such as the Pyrenean Ibex, the Passenger Pigeon and our own Tasmanian Tiger – all animals that have gone extinct in living memory – are in the sights of scientists around the world as part of the The Long Now Foundation.

In addition to the prospect of returning the recent dead, the technologies developed for de-extinction may also come to the rescue of currently living (extant) but endangered animals.

For those close to the edge of extinction, one of the major problems hindering conservation is a lack of genetic diversity within surviving populations. Oliver Ryder, director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation and Research, said that cryo-preserved tissues may be used to improve the genetic variability and reproductive vigour of the critically endangered Northern White Rhino.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Before we build Jurassic World we need to study recent extinctions

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