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Science & Technology

Is it ethical to bring back extinct species ?

By T.K. Randall
April 9, 2013 · Comment icon 68 comments

Image Credit: Hobart Zoo
Once a species has gone extinct, is it ethically sound to use science to bring it back from oblivion ?
One of the biggest questions raised by the movie blockbuster "Jurassic Park" was that even if we did have the capability to bring extinct species back to life, the question remains whether or not we actually should. With advances in science leading us ever closer to the capacity to resurrect an extinct species, scientists have found themselves pondering the ethical considerations of such an act in addition to the practical possibilities.

One particularly controversial area is in the resurrection of an extinct species of human such as the Neanderthals. If we were able to produce a living Neanderthal, would that person be doomed to a life of scientific experimentation and observation ? Would human rights still apply ?
Twenty years after the release of Jurassic Park, the dream of bringing back the dinosaurs remains science fiction. But scientists predict that within 15 years they will be able to revive some more recently extinct species, such as the dodo or the passenger pigeon, raising the question of whether or not they should - just because they can.


Source: Phys.org | Comments (68)

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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #59 Posted by Hawkin 12 years ago
Who is this nature? Humans are nature as much as an asteroid is nature. Unlike an asteroid, humans have the ability to think. It's just unfortunate that a lot of them don't.
Comment icon #60 Posted by Myles 12 years ago
Unlike an asteroid, humans have the ability to think. It's just unfortunate that a lot of them don't. I agree with that. But it really shouldn't be a factor in bring an animal back.
Comment icon #61 Posted by Hawkin 12 years ago
I agree with that. But it really shouldn't be a factor in bring an animal back. I will agree that we are a part of nature since we share this planet with other species. I just feel that since we have the intellect to control our destiny and the destiny of other species, we should repair what we broke.
Comment icon #62 Posted by DieChecker 12 years ago
If man had a hand in killing off a species then man should bring it back. It's not the same where dinos became extinct by nature. if humans extinct the creature, then we should be abligated to bring their spicies back as we extincted it What if the species that went extint only lived in one lake, or in one small 1 acre field, and fed off only one kind of plant or flower? Are we going to revive a species that was already 99% extinct? What if the plant or the lake that they depended on no longer exists? That is why I think bring back a species into the world is only a good idea if there is somew... [More]
Comment icon #63 Posted by Hawkin 12 years ago
What if the species that went extint only lived in one lake, or in one small 1 acre field, and fed off only one kind of plant or flower? Are we going to revive a species that was already 99% extinct? What if the plant or the lake that they depended on no longer exists? That is why I think bring back a species into the world is only a good idea if there is somewhere for them to live and thrive. Otherwise your good intentions are just creating a second extinction. When I was born, the Earth's population was half of what it is now. I have a feeling that nature will take care of that.
Comment icon #64 Posted by DieChecker 12 years ago
When I was born, the Earth's population was half of what it is now. I have a feeling that nature will take care of that. Maybe... Maybe not. Mother Nature is just another god entity that is claimed to have power, but I'd bet she can fade away just as Odin, Jupiter and Zeus have passed away. When humans Create their own environments, we step outside of nature. That is not to say that some plague might not wipe out large numbers of humans, but chiefly what wipes out humans is Other Humans!!
Comment icon #65 Posted by Myles 12 years ago
I can certainly understand the arguement that we should only bring back animals who could survive and be prosperous in the wild. Dodo's, Thylacine, passenger pigeon and different deer species would make sense. But I really want both a mastodon and a mammoth to be revived.
Comment icon #66 Posted by markdohle 12 years ago
No matter if it is moral to bring back extinct spieces or not... we will do it if we can.
Comment icon #67 Posted by Zerocoder 12 years ago
No it isn't ethical. AKA we'll do it any way until it screws up, then continue to do it. Perhaps if we put a little more effort into looking after the wildlife and animals we already have in the first place then nothing else would be driven to extinction. most people in the world does not care about the consequenses of their actions, i did not either but now i think twice before i do something No matter if it is moral to bring back extinct spieces or not... we will do it if we can. Agreed, their called animals for a reason and the reason is their not sentient beings that can think and act, the... [More]
Comment icon #68 Posted by DieChecker 12 years ago
No it isn't ethical. AKA we'll do it any way until it screws up, then continue to do it. Perhaps if we put a little more effort into looking after the wildlife and animals we already have in the first place then nothing else would be driven to extinction. Compared to most of the world, the US is Mega-Uber-Green. India (overpopulation, disease, industry), China (Farming Nitrites, Industial pollutions), Brazil (Deforestation), Central Africa (burning anything they can find, eating anything they can find, overgrazing, desertification).... are all much worse then the US ecologically. There is more... [More]
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