The wooly mammoth is a creature that has been extinct for years. They were creatures that thrived in the tundra. Their fur and fat storage system allowed for them to survive in the cold. Their tusks and size allowed for them to easily defend themselves from predators. They were also said to coexist with early humans and were almost necessary for human survival. These creatures could possibly be brought back with the technology of CRISPR. This technology uses the Cas9 protein attached to a genomic DNA sequence, then the DNA sequence is cut off and a programmed DNA sequence is attached to change the original DNA.
Wooly mammoths are fascinating creatures that left a clear impression on humans. They were important for the old artic tundra and are said to help with climate change. The CRISPR technology has advanced and made this and much more possible. However, this does not mean that the planet needs wooly mammoths. Jurassic Park gave people a clear warning on what the effects of resurrecting extinct species could do. The wooly mammoth went extinct for a specific reason. Resurrecting the creatures will reverse this. Will bringing the wooly mammoth back cause a terrifying effect or will it be the best decision people have made?
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/14/1036884561/dna-resurrection-jurassic-park-woolly-mammoth
Jackelyn Raymundo Santizo (3)
Hi Jackelyn, I really liked this blog, it was very intriguing. I love the choice of species! I would love to bring back Manny (Manifred) from the Ice Age series, I mean he became brave and kind over time. The technology and basis for CRISPR is so fancy! It can cut DNA sequences and replace old ones to possibly bring back extinct species, this is crazy! I also agree with you in the Jurassic Park connection you made, I shifted my side when you brought that up, I guess there is a time for everything.
ReplyDelete-Kristina Baldeo
Hi Kristina,
DeleteLove the connection to the Ice Age series because as a child i loved it, and was fascinated by the wooly mammoth. Like you mentioned I thought it was fascinating and an amazing project until I saw the issues that could arise from bringing back an extinct species.
I was very interested in your blog post because it seems like a very familiar idea that the characters in Jurassic Park made. I mean, my take on it is that the wooly mammoth existed a long time ago when the average human both looked different, and did not live the same way that we do today. Therefore, the likelihood of the creation of a new wooly mammoth, using CRISPR technology, having any benefit towards humans is very slim. They're also very big creatures, that simply can't be domesticated for our use.
ReplyDelete- Brianna Bailey
I really enjoyed this article! I think people are quick to think that we should bring the wooly mammouth back, but I don't think we should either. Although it would be cool, it could serve as a real threat as an invasive species, and also with climate change, they might not survive well anymore in today's climate. They could be at risk themselevs and it could also endanger entire ecosystems!
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon,
DeleteI agree with your concerns. It seems like a really cool idea at first but the more I think about it the more I think it shouldn’t be done. As you’ve mentioned invasive species are a concern, and we don’t know how the current ecosystem will react to a new species.
I think that I both agree and disagree. I definitely want to see modern genome editing technologies used to protect endangered or potentially recently endangered species. I also think bringing back long extinct species could be very interesting, as well. Bringing back ancient species could enlighten us about phylogenetics. Much of what we know is dependent on fossils, genetics, and speculation.
ReplyDelete-Alan Papenfuhs
Hi Alan,
DeleteI think that discovering more about phylogenetic is a major pushing point for why we should bring back the invasive species because it can enlighten researchers. However, I’m not sure if the benefits will outweigh the dangers that a new species will have on the environment.
I'm a bit confused on how bringing back woolly mammoths can change the effects of climate change? Also I wonder how woolly mammoths would fit into natural ecosystems, if any? Would they be kept a zoo animals that don't actually get to roam natural habitats and are simply for human viewing? Your article brings up so many questions for me I found it quite fascinating. On another note I agree that resurrecting the woolly mammoth from extinction wouldn't be the most efficient use of CRISPR gene editing technology...
ReplyDelete^^^ - Declan Downing (sorry I forgot to add my name again)
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting all the different things CRISPR can change in the world. Right now, my group is researching how CRISPR can improve crop yield, the nutrition value of crops & disease/virus resistance of crops. These are two completely different aspects of science using the same technology to get different results, how interesting!
ReplyDelete^ -Emma Alderman-Shapiro
DeleteThis is a really interesting post on current biological advances, I recently heard about this being potentially possible and it's something I've always wondered about ever since I watched jurassic park as a kid. I do think it's really fascinating that we are able to do this, however, I think we should be careful about resurrecting multiple extinct species, like you said they went extinct for a reason.
ReplyDelete- David Miropolsky
This post raises a lot of interesting points and concerns. Synthetically creating a wooly mammoth would be very interesting to study and observe, but it would most likely not exhibit the same behavior that the authentic species did and not be an accurate study of the species.
ReplyDeleteThis post raises a lot of interesting points and concerns. Synthetically creating a wooly mammoth would be very interesting to study and observe, but it would most likely not exhibit the same behavior that the authentic species did and not be an accurate study of the species.
ReplyDelete-Angela Baily
This post really raises quite a few questions. While it may be cool to to bring back the wooly mammoth, at some point an ethics question has to be brought into it all. In the long term it may not be all that ethical to bring them back as we cannot supply the necessary living conditions that it needs.
ReplyDelete^Sara Dunn
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