An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
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An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
1–10 of 42 posts
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#2Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#3Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain.
Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in nature.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#4Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain. Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in natur…
Well we don't have to reintroduce them. We can just keep them in zoos or something. Or at least sterilize them at first. Chances are, they died off because they got out-competed anyway.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#5Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain. Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in natur…
don't think anyone would reintroduce a species, unless of course you would fully understand the impact it would have. there would also be interesting challenges around diversity and adapting to the environment.
I could see bringing back a few specimens to life via cloning and whatnot - if only for being able to experience something from the past that we did not get to see.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#6Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain. Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in natur…
Remember, these are the creatures that lost. They were out-competed in their day. Also, their genes are likely still present today in some cousin species.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#7Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
This may not be realistic, without even considering the angle of "can we solve the challenges involved in recreating species from some DNA samples?" The earth has changed in ways that can make prior organisms simply unsuited to life on earth, similar to how fish are not suited to surviving out of water. Gill fish simply cannot breathe out of water, even aside from mobility issues.
So, as one example, the earth has substantially less oxygen than it did millions of years ago. This means giant dragonflies cannot breathe in our current atmosphere. You would need to put them in a special chamber that recreates their niche, possibly without knowing what parameters are critical to their survival.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#8Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain. Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in natur…
There's something perverse about the idea of reanimating a species essentially for our own enjoyment (edification, whatever you want to call it) after it died out through natural processes.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have never been comfortable with the concept of reintroducing a species that we haven't directly observed. We can't predict the impact one may have on its environment or disruption to the food chain. Reintroducing a species which we are familiar with, say after over hunting by poachers, is more likely to produce the expected results without complications because we have prior knowledge of that species role in natur…
There's something perverse about the idea of reanimating a species essentially for our own enjoyment (edification, whatever you want to call it) after it died out through natural processes.
Natural processes can include earthquakes, volcanoes, viruses. Its often random. Plenty of reason to think these species have something to offer in the present day.
I think of it like publishing an old book, or seeing an old movie. It is being a good steward of a legacy in a sense.
Re: An extinct cave lion, at least 10,000 years old
#10Hopefully we can still revive those along with mammoths.
This may not be realistic, without even considering the angle of "can we solve the challenges involved in recreating species from some DNA samples?" The earth has changed in ways that can make prior organisms simply unsuited to life on earth, similar to how fish are not suited to surviving out of water. Gill fish simply cannot breathe out of water, even aside from mobility issues. So, as one example, the earth has su…
The species for which revival is technologically plausible are those with well-preserved frozen specimens, mainly pleistocene (mega)fauna like mammoths and the lions presented here. They lived at most a few tens of thousands of years ago, which is geologically barely worth mentioning, and the atmospheric composition hasn't changed much since then, or not in ways relevant to animals.