NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — A team of scientists at Colossal Biosciences is making bold claims that woolly mammoths, extinct for thousands of years, could be resurrected and roaming the Earth within just five years.
This ambitious endeavor involves combining genetic material extracted from remains found in the Arctic permafrost with the DNA of Asian elephants to recreate the gene set of the ancient woolly mammoth.
The biotech company believes that the first calf, born from this process, could emerge as early as 2028.
Colossal Biosciences is positioning this resurrection project as an opportunity to bring back a creature from the past in order to contribute to a “better Earth.”
The process involves rebuilding the genome of the woolly mammoth and implanting mammoth embryos into surrogate elephants.
The result, according to the scientists, would be a cold-resistant elephant with the biological features of the woolly mammoth.
While this initiative is driven by the potential scientific advancements it could unlock, critics are skeptical. Some argue that cloning, even if successful, does not address broader conservation problems or climate change.
Joseph Bennett from Carleton University in Ottawa expressed concerns about presenting cloning as a panacea for conservation issues.
The notion of de-extinction has long captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike. The prospect of bringing back extinct species, such as the woolly mammoth, raises ethical, ecological, and conservation questions.
While the Colossal Biosciences team is pushing the boundaries of genetic engineering, the broader implications of reintroducing extinct species into modern ecosystems warrant careful consideration.
As this scientific endeavor progresses, it will likely spark discussions about the role of cloning in conservation and the ethical responsibilities associated with manipulating the genetic makeup of life forms.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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