Scientists Want To Revive Extinct Species Via Gene Editing To Save Humanity

Reviving an extinct species or a whole batch of them is not a foreign concept to humans. Films like Jurassic Park and Splice have showcased what it would be like to completely resurrect dead organisms or create an entirely new one. Now, it would seem that scientists are thinking of actually making this happen in order to save the planet; or rather, save humanity.

The planet’s history is formally divided into different eras based several factors, but the organisms and the Earth’s conditions usually play a huge role. In according to the dominance of humankind of the planet, geologists are proposing to call the current era Anthropocene, Futurism reports. Incidentally, one of the most notable events to occur in this era is the extinction of more than two-thirds of the planet’s wildlife.

In response to the growing issue, scientists are actually proposing the revival of certain species that are considered beneficial to the ecosystem. University of California, Santa Barbara ecologists have even published guidelines on which species are worth bringing back from extinction and how to go about it. The basic premise is to bring back balance in nature, which is constantly threatened by the continuous encroachment of humanity into wild territory.

Now, it’s mentioning that numerous species go extinct all the time, even without the interference of humans. However, rarely has mass extinction occurred due to the presence of a single dominant force in the world’s various ecosystems than when humanity became the supreme species millennia ago.

This is a problem because the loss of so many species and animals can be a destabilizing catalyst, which could have devastating consequences for Earth. Animals won’t be the only ones affected. Humans will feel the brunt of the impact as well.

As to whether or not this is even possible, the simple answer is yes, yes it is. Thanks to the introduction of the gene-editing tool CRISPR, humanity has been given an incredibly powerful tool with limitless potential. Bringing back a dead species is just a matter of time.