Could we resurrect the Dodo Bird?

Peter Jason

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Apr 4, 2013, 9:59:05 PM4/4/13

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http://metro.co.uk/2009/01/07/not-so-dead-as-a-dodo-dna-may-revive-species-297889/
Necromancy is the new science, and we may be able
to bring back history's famous figures. Like
Richard III or Frederic II or Maria Theresa or
anyone else whose remains are in reasonable order!

Discuss.

Bryn

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Apr 5, 2013, 3:47:54 PM4/5/13

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Yes!

robert...@gmail.com

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Apr 5, 2013, 9:10:43 PM4/5/13

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Good idea... if they taste good. Easy to catch....

Peter Jason

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Apr 6, 2013, 12:57:19 AM4/6/13

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On Fri, 5 Apr 2013 18:10:43 -0700 (PDT),
robert...@gmail.com wrote:

>Good idea... if they taste good. Easy to catch....

We could bring back J. H. Christ by leaching the
True Cross for DNA and then doing the cloning
thing! Wouldn't that stir things up?!

Bryn

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Apr 6, 2013, 11:55:30 AM4/6/13

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Cool! If He does have superpowers then some real arse-kicking could be expected.

Peter Jason

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Apr 6, 2013, 8:38:43 PM4/6/13

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One good way to get rid of the Muslims! Hell fire
& damnation.

The Horny Goat

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Apr 7, 2013, 4:17:14 AM4/7/13

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In fairness, there's a cover article on this subject in the current
National Geographic and it's quite clear bringing back a particular
person isn't in the cards but bringing back a particular species may
well be.

For instance in the typical avian egg, the DNA isn't really in the
shell or yolk so if a living creature is grown in another species'
shell but is identical to a passenger pigeon is it a passenger pigeon?

Obviously with any such project you have to re-create enough of a
species to get it to reproduce - after all if you create one extinct
bird with a lifespan of 10 years - after 11 years you get extinction
again.

Similarly if the cost of producing mating habitat for an endangered
species is 1/4 million $ and there are multiple endangered species, is
it even ethical to clone a passenger pigeon from existing DNA even if
technically possible? (I'm not sure how long DNA in a feather is
viable but if it's 500+ years the dodo and passenger pigeons are two
species where a recreation is possible - but is it ethical if spending
the money on these prevents habitat restoration of 6 other species who
fail to survive?

robert...@gmail.com

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Apr 12, 2013, 10:49:53 AM4/12/13

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Surely the holy foreskin would be a better bet.... now, where is it?

This would also give access to goddes DNA I suppose, even more fascianting!

Mitch Bujard

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Aug 4, 2013, 6:18:31 PM8/4/13

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On 2013-04-07 08:17:14 +0000, The Horny Goat said:

> Obviously with any such project you have to re-create enough of a
> species to get it to reproduce - after all if you create one extinct
> bird with a lifespan of 10 years - after 11 years you get extinction
> again.

Not necessarily. You can clone the living organism, therefore
reproducing it in a kind of assisted parthenogenesis. You can produce a
clone whre you induce a sex change. For instance, in crocodiles, if
temperature increases, all offspings are female. Such mechanism may
exist in avians.

Finally, you can hybridate with the closest relative. It could be done
for mammoth and elephant.

> Similarly if the cost of producing mating habitat for an endangered
> species is 1/4 million $ and there are multiple endangered species, is
> it even ethical to clone a passenger pigeon from existing DNA even if
> technically possible? (I'm not sure how long DNA in a feather is
> viable but if it's 500+ years the dodo and passenger pigeons are two
> species where a recreation is possible - but is it ethical if spending
> the money on these prevents habitat restoration of 6 other species who
> fail to survive?

Ethics are a very relative notion…

Mitch