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Questions and Answers
What is the primary reason for the extinction of the dodo?
Which species is considered the closest living relative to the dodo?
What method is being used by scientists to potentially create a new dodo?
Which extinct species is Colossal trying to bring back through gene editing?
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What is the major genetic similarity percentage between woolly mammoths and their closest living relatives?
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What ecological benefit are scientists hoping to achieve by reintroducing woolly mammoths?
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What role does CRISPR play in bringing back the woolly mammoth?
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Why do scientists believe woolly mammoths are crucial for the Arctic ecosystem?
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What is the main goal of Beth Shapiro's project regarding the dodo?
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What genetic process are scientists using to potentially recreate the woolly mammoth?
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Which two species are being used as comparisons for the dodo's genome sequencing?
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What trait are scientists particularly focusing on when creating new dodo hybrids?
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What is one of the reasons for the extinction of the woolly mammoth?
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In what region do scientists plan to reintroduce the woolly mammoth?
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Which modern animal is being used as a surrogate to potentially give birth to woolly mammoths?
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What ecological function do scientists believe woolly mammoths serve when reintroduced?
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What is the primary focus of Beth Shapiro's project involving the dodo?
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What ecological role do researchers believe woolly mammoths could fulfill if reintroduced?
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What key step has been completed by scientists in the attempt to revive the dodo?
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Which of the following species has been proposed as a surrogate for reintroducing woolly mammoths?
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What approach is Colossal using to bring back the woolly mammoth?
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What significant environmental issue do scientists hope to address through the reintroduction of woolly mammoths?
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What is one of the traits that scientists are enhancing in the new hybrids of dodos?
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What was one of the major factors in the extinction of the woolly mammoth?
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Study Notes
Dodo De-extinction
- The dodo, a flightless bird native to Mauritius, is an iconic symbol of extinction.
- Dodos were driven to extinction within decades due to human activity and introduced species, such as rats.
- Scientist Beth Shapiro has sequenced the complete genome of the dodo from ancient DNA.
- The next step is to compare the dodo genome with its closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon, and the extinct Rodrigues solitaire.
- The goal is to create a new dodo with adaptations to modern ecosystems, not a replica of the original.
- Shapiro plans to implant dodo embryos in modern relatives to produce hybrid offspring with resilience and immunity.
Woolly Mammoth De-extinction
- Woolly mammoths, large mammals that roamed Eurasia and North America, went extinct around 10,000 years ago due to climate change and human hunting.
- Colossal, a biotech company, aims to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2027 using gene editing techniques.
- They plan to reintroduce mammoths to Siberia to combat climate change.
- Woolly mammoths share 99.6% of their DNA with Asian elephants, their closest living relative.
- The plan involves implanting mammoth embryos into surrogate African elephants.
- The research aims to restore the Arctic tundra and rebuild the Mammoth Steppe, an ecosystem that existed during the Ice Age.
- Proponents argue that mammoths could help slow Arctic permafrost melt by converting shrub forests into grasslands.
- Critics argue that the mammoths may not exhibit the same behavior as their ancestors and will face challenges in a different ecosystem.
- Concerns also exist regarding the logistical challenges of creating a large herd for significant ecological impact.
Dodo
- The dodo is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to Mauritius.
- It was hunted to extinction by humans and introduced species like rats.
- Scientist Beth Shapiro is leading a project to de-extinct the dodo.
- The first step was to fully sequence the dodo's genome from ancient DNA.
- The next step is to compare the dodo's genome with its closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon.
- The goal is not to bring back the "old" dodo but to create a new one with traits that help it adapt to the modern environment.
- Shapiro plans to plant the dodo egg inside modern relatives to give birth to new dodo hybrids.
Woolly Mammoth
- The woolly mammoth became extinct around 10,000 years ago due to climate change and hunting by humans.
- Colossal, a US biotech company, aims to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2027 through gene editing.
- Woolly mammoths share 99.6% of their genes with Asian elephants.
- Colossal plans to implant a woolly mammoth embryo in a surrogate African elephant.
- Proponents believe that mammoths can help fight climate change by restoring the Arctic tundra.
- They argue that mammoths would help slow the melting of permafrost, preventing greenhouse gas emissions and restoring the Mammoth Steppe ecosystem.
- Critics argue that de-extinct mammoths will have different behavior and won't thrive in the modern ecosystem.
- They also state that a significant herd size would be required for a meaningful impact, which is unlikely to be achieved.
Dodo
- The dodo is a flightless giant bird that lived in Southeast Asia, mainly in Mauritius.
- The dodo went extinct in just a few decades due to human activities and introduced species like rats.
- Scientist Beth Shapiro is leading efforts to de-extinct the dodo by sequencing its genome using ancient DNA.
- Shapiro aims to create a hybrid dodo species with traits that promote adaptation to modern environments.
- The project involves comparing dodo DNA to its closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon, and the extinct Rodrigues solitaire.
- Shapiro plans to implant dodo embryos in modern relatives, potentially leading to the birth of new dodo hybrids.
- The objective is not to replicate the original dodo but to create a new species with resilience to current ecological challenges.
Woolly Mammoth
- The woolly mammoth inhabited Eurasia and North America.
- They became extinct roughly 10,000 years ago due to climate change and human hunting.
- Colossal, a US biotech company, is attempting to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2027 through gene editing.
- They plan to reintroduce mammoths to Siberia, Russia, in an effort to combat climate change.
- The woolly mammoth shares 99.6% of its genes with the Asian elephant, its closest relative.
- Scientists believe that mammoths could help restore the Arctic tundra by slowing permafrost melting, preventing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting natural Arctic grasslands.
- The project relies on advanced gene-editing techniques, particularly CRISPR editing.
- The mammoth embryos would be implanted into surrogate African elephants for birth.
- Critics argue that while genetically similar, the de-extinct mammoths would lack the same behaviors and would not be living in their original ice-age environment.
- The need for large herds to have a significant impact raises logistical challenges.
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Description
Explore the fascinating processes of de-extinction for two iconic species: the dodo and the woolly mammoth. Learn about the scientific advancements being made, including genome sequencing and gene editing techniques. Discover how these efforts aim to adapt them to modern ecosystems rather than simply replicating their ancestors.
