When we see news about animal extinctions on TV or the Internet, many people instinctively feel that they want to protect them. In fact, various efforts are being made in the field of nature conservation to prevent the extinction of animals.
However, reviving extinct species with human technology, or protecting and breeding endangered animals,Is it really the “right” thing to do?A book by American journalist M.R. O’Connor tackled this question head-on.“Animals That Can’t Be Extinct”is.
this bookteeth,“Is it ‘good’ to prevent extinction?”It is a unique non-fiction that focuses on ethical issues, and is often talked about on Twitter. In this paper,this bookExcerpt and edit part of the content of, and revive the Neanderthal“A Surprise Plan”introduce. (Construction / Hayabusa Nemoto)
Outstanding “possibility of de-extinction”
Of all the possibilities of post-extinction, the most crazy, the most fascinating, and the most symbolic is us.To one day bring back Neanderthals, our closest relativesIsn’t it?
Our interest in Neanderthals began with the discovery of their fossils in Germany in 1856. … The early 20th century saw the emergence of Neanderthal novels that showed the enduring fascination with our extinct relatives and the possibility that they might come back to life.
In 1958 Isaac Asimov published a short story called “Stagnant Space”. A 4-year-old Neanderthal boy is kidnapped and brought into the 21st century. The 1984 film The Iceman tells the story of a modern Neanderthal thawed from the Arctic ice.
In recent decades, encounters with human evolutionary relatives haveThe possibility of being as excited as the existence of extraterrestrial life and time travelwas.
Popular Idea of Neanderthal ‘Resurrection’
Most recently, the persistently popular idea of reviving Neanderthals was floated by none other than Harvard scientist George Church.In a 2013 interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Church said:Mention the possibility of a Neanderthal revivalpresented his theory that introducing their genetic diversity into modern times would be a strategy to avoid social risks.
Church says it sounds counterintuitive given our current population size, but modern humans, compared to many species such as chimpanzees and penguins,The fact that genetic diversity is much lowerI also touched on
The revival of ‘human relatives’ is no longer science fiction
“If Neanderthals are resurrected, they may create their own new culture and even become a major political force.” In his book Regenesis, Church writes:
“The problem is not as a circus spectacle, but as part of an intensive scientific effort to improve genetic diversity, reintroducing the extinct Neanderthal genome into the global gene pool, and replace Neanderthals with Is there an obligation to revive it?”
Techniques to revive NeanderthalsAlmost the same technology as reviving a passenger pigeonis. Starting with the physical genome of the closest Neanderthals (modern humans), the Neanderthal genome is engineered to revive. Neanderthals were one of the first extinct species studied by geneticists.
Church believes that discussion will be necessary to decide whether to pursue Neanderthal cloning in the future. Church’s understanding of genetic technology and its potential is certainly ahead of the average person.
For him, the era of rapid and affordable genome engineering is already here.A future where Neanderthals revive is no longer the realm of science fiction。
(This paper“Animals That Can’t Be Extinct”Excerpted and edited from