Woolly Mammoth in a snowy landscape

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Should We Bring Back Extinct Animals?

December 20, 2021
By Karen Grimaldos

As You Read, Think About: Would bringing back extinct creatures help other animals or hurt them?

Woolly mammoths were huge, shaggy, elephant-like creatures. The animals became extinct about 10,000 years ago. But what if they could roam Earth once again? That may sound like a scene from a zombie movie, but a company called Colossal hopes to bring woolly mammoths back from the dead within the next few years. 

Scientists at Colossal plan to use the DNA from a frozen mammoth in a process called de-extinction. DNA is the material in cells that determines how living things look and function. Scientists will copy the DNA into the cells of the mammoth’s closest living relative, the Asian elephant. 

Some people think it would be exciting to see prehistoric creatures return to their former habitats. But many scientists are concerned that de-extinction could cause more harm than good.

Woolly mammoths were huge, shaggy, elephant-like creatures. The animals became extinct about 10,000 years ago. But what if they could roam Earth once again? That may sound like a scene from a zombie movie. But a company called Colossal hopes to bring woolly mammoths back within the next few years. 

Scientists at Colossal plan to use the DNA from a frozen mammoth in a process called de-extinction. DNA is the material in cells that determines how living things look and function. Scientists will copy the DNA into the cells of the Asian elephant. 

Some people think it would be exciting to see prehistoric creatures return. But many scientists are concerned that de-extinction could cause more harm than good.

Should we bring extinct creatures back from the dead?

Mammoths were better preserved than many other extinct animals because their bodies were frozen in ice and snow.

YES

Many experts say bringing back mammoths would be a conservation victory unlike any other in history. In the Arctic, mammoths were a keystone species, meaning they had a big impact on everything in their ecosystem. The Colossal team says the mammoth’s return could greatly boost biodiversity. 

Colossal also claims that de-extinction could help combat climate change. Mammoths scraped away snow, allowing cold air to reach the frozen soil beneath, called permafrost. Without the beasts, some of the permafrost thawed. That released greenhouse gases, which cause the planet to warm. Some scientists say bringing back mammoths can reverse this trend.

Supporters of de-extinction say the process could also help save endangered species. They argue that the technology could be used to change the DNA of animals to make them stronger and better able to fight diseases. Eriona Hysolli is the head biologist at Colossal. She believes her team’s efforts could protect animals in danger of disappearing. 

“We have to think outside the box,” Hysolli says. “We need new ideas before we lose a species for good.”

Many experts say bringing back mammoths would be a conservation victory. In the Arctic, mammoths were a keystone species. That means they had a big impact on everything in their ecosystem. The Colossal team says the mammoth’s return could greatly boost biodiversity. 

Colossal also claims that de-extinction could help fight climate change. Mammoths scraped away snow, allowing cold air to reach the frozen soil beneath, called permafrost. Without the beasts, some of the permafrost thawed. That released greenhouse gases, which cause the planet to warm. Some scientists say bringing back mammoths can reverse this trend.

Supporters of de-extinction say the process could also help save endangered species. They argue that the technology could be used to change the DNA of animals. These changes could make the animals stronger and better able to fight diseases. Eriona Hysolli is the head biologist at Colossal. She believes her team’s efforts could protect animals in danger of disappearing.. 

“We have to think outside the box,” Hysolli says. “We need new ideas before we lose a species for good.” 

More than 500 species of land animals are in danger of becoming extinct in the next 20 years.

Source: National Academy of Sciences

Source: National Academy of Sciences

NO

Many scientists point out that the new creature wouldn’t actually be a woolly mammoth—it would be a mix of a mammoth and an elephant. Some say creating a hybrid animal would be a cruel experiment. Many worry that the new animals would be subject to constant testing, suffer from serious health problems, and not survive for long.

Many scientists point out that the new creature wouldn’t actually be a woolly mammoth. It would be a mix of a mammoth and an elephant. Some say creating a hybrid animal would be a cruel experiment. Many worry that the new animals would be subject to constant testing, suffer from serious health problems, and not survive for long.

Raghupathi K.V./500px/Getty Images

Asian elephants live in much warmer climates than woolly mammoths did.

Other experts think de-extinction could hurt the environment, not help it. They argue that no one can predict how a new version of an extinct species might affect other animals in an ecosystem. Many scientists also say the new mammoths likely wouldn’t affect climate change.

“They’d have to bring back millions of woolly mammoths, and it would take centuries for any positive changes to occur,” says Ross MacPhee. He is a biologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “The other thing is, where are you going to put them? You’re not talking about rats. You’re talking about animals that weigh 4 or 5 tons.”

Opponents of de-extinction also note that the process can cost tens of millions of dollars. They would rather see the money spent on trying to save currently endangered species before those animals become extinct.

Other experts think de-extinction could hurt the environment, not help it. They argue that no one can predict how a new version of an extinct species might affect other animals in an ecosystem. Many scientists also say the new mammoths likely wouldn’t affect climate change. 

“They’d have to bring back millions of woolly mammoths, and it would take centuries for any positive changes to occur,” says Ross MacPhee. He is a biologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “The other thing is, where are you going to put them? You’re not talking about rats. You’re talking about animals that weigh 4 or 5 tons.”

People against de-extinction also say that the process can cost tens of millions of dollars. They would rather see the money spent on trying to save currently endangered species.

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1. How would de-extinction of the woolly mammoth work, according to the article?

2. What does Eriona Hysolli of Colossal mean when she says “We have to think outside the box”?

3. Why do opponents of de-extinction say it would be cruel to the new animals?

1. How would de-extinction of the woolly mammoth work, according to the article?

2. What does Eriona Hysolli of Colossal mean when she says “We have to think outside the box”?

3. Why do opponents of de-extinction say it would be cruel to the new animals?

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