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What If Extinction Is Not Forever
What If Extinction Is Not Forever
What If Extinction Is Not Forever
GENOMICS
Although new technologies may make it
possible to bring extinct species back to life,
What If Extinction Is Not Forever? there are ethical, legal, and social ramifications
to be addressed
Jacob S. Sherkow1 and Henry T. Greely2
A
1930s film shows a dog running
and jumping inside a fenced enclo-
sure (1)—except that the dog has
a strange-shaped head, odd stripes, and a
rigid tail that can only move side-to-side.
The “dog” is actually one of the last thyla-
cines, a marsupial predator also called the
Tasmanian tiger. The film was taken shortly
before humans extinguished the species for-
ever. Or did we? Recently, new technolo-
genome sequencing. DNA in cells from a Objections to bringing back extinct animals and largely transformed ecosystems. The
similar living species—perhaps the band- fall into five categories: animal welfare, American chestnut, a main food source for
tailed pigeon—could be edited to match health, environment, political, and moral. the passenger pigeon, is now nearly extinct
Animals created in the de-extinction in the wild. Even in the same location, the
1
Center for Law and the Biosciences, Stanford Law School, process could end up suffering, either as passenger pigeon would today be an alien,
Stanford CA 94305, USA. 2Stanford University, Stanford CA a result of the processes used or because and potentially invasive, species—perhaps
94305, USA.
of their particular genomic variations. We another starling or even an avian kudzu.
*Corresponding author. hgreely@stanford.edu know, for example, that SCNT can lead to The political risks are considerable,
too. Current protection of endangered and species in whose extinction humans played stantial government expenditure. One might
threatened species owes much to the argu- the sole, the leading, or a substantial role? argue that governments fund science proj-
ment of irreversibility. If extinctions—par- The last benefit might be called “wonder,” ects with similarly small practical relevance,
ticularly extinctions where tissue samples or, more colloquially “coolness.” This may be but those “cool” projects, like the Mars rov-
are readily available—are not forever, pres- the biggest attraction, and possibly the big- ers, present fewer risks and objections.
ervation of today’s species may not seem as gest benefit, of de-extinction. It would surely Second, should de-extinction be cate-
important. Also, genetics and, more broadly, be very cool to see a living wooly mammoth. gorically banned? Here the answer seems a
modern bioscience, could face a backlash And while this is rarely viewed as a substan- fairly clear “no.” The risks look fairly small
if citizens perceive public investments in tial benefit, much of what we do as indi- and probably manageable. If people want to
bioscience as being used to revive species viduals—even many aspects of science— devote their own time, money, and efforts to
rather than cure human disease. we do because it’s “cool.” the endeavor, the risks to the world do not
Finally, some people will complain that, seem to justify complete prohibition.
whatever its consequences, de-extinction is Legal Issues Third, should de-extinction be regu-
just wrong—it is “playing god,” “reversing We may also need to consider several legal lated? Here, we think the answer is “Yes—
natural selection,” or an act of hubris. Oth- issues. First, would a de-extinct species be somewhat.” The animal welfare and envi-
ers may argue that we cannot know enough “endangered”? The answer is unclear. In the ronmental concerns are real. They could be
about the consequences to re-introduce a United States, the Endangered Species Act mitigated by protective action but only if