Reviving an extinct species may sound like something out of Jurassic Park, but the science of de-extinction is real. It’s not possible to bring back dinosaurs because they’ve been extinct too long and their DNA is no longer salvageable. But new genetic technologies enable us to re-create more recently extinct species like passenger pigeons and woolly mammoths. Thinking of Jurassic Park, you might think de-extinction is threatening, but bringing back certain species has benefits.
De-extinction could play a key role in healing damaged ecosystems, because it’s actually just an extension of good old-fashioned conservation work—the protection of existing animals and their environments. Conservationists have already had success returning living species to areas where they’ve died out. One example is the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park. Their extermination a century ago led to environmental problems, such as the decline of certain trees. But just 20 years after conservationists returned wolves to Yellowstone, the ecosystem is much healthier. That’s because by eating elk, wolves give tree saplings a chance to grow. The young trees attract beavers, which make dams that draw birds and amphibians. More species thrive in the park today than when wolves were missing. De-extinction can do the same in other places.