De-extinction: Is it a Colossal waste of everybody's time and money?
De-extinction: Conservation or a Colossal Hoax?
Imagine a world where the dire wolf, made famous in Game of Thrones, once again prowls the wilds—a creature lost to the last ice age, now the focus of a bold scientific resurrection. That’s the headline-grabbing promise from Colossal Biosciences, a company making waves with its claims to reverse extinction itself. But as conservationists dedicated to keeping endangered species from vanishing in the first place, how should we react to this Jurassic Park-like vision?
Colossal’s ambitions aren’t limited to the dire wolf; they also have their sights on ‘de-extincting’ the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and dodo, all with the help of cutting-edge genetic engineering. The company argues that bringing back these “keystone” species could help restore ecosystems and even fight climate change.
However, if you find yourself torn between excitement and scepticism, you’re not alone. Perhaps we can help!
We interviewed a world authority on species extinctions, Stuart Pimm, the Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University. Stuart tells it as it is. Here’s what Stuart has to say.
