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What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

thewalrus.ca

11–20 of 147 posts

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#11
post #5

Wouldn't that also require the atmosphere of the Earth to contain 33% oxygen again?

It dropped by a third, which is less than the difference between New York and La Paz, so I guess they could deal with it? I wonder how well their immune systems would handle modern germs, though...

It seems like they would be invulnerable to modern germs, because how could any germs exist which would thrive off hundred-million-year-old genomes

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#12

I find it fascinating that we may be able to clone extinct species, but I agree with the warnings about the dangers of de-extinction. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. It's important to consider the potential consequences of bringing back ancient species, both for the animals themselves and for the ecosystem. It's also worth noting that even if we are able to successfully clone a dinosaur, it's…

This sounds like gpt.

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#13
Dinosaurs are gone, all that remains is their bone structures. No complete genomes are recoverable, just maybe a few fragments.

However if you want dinosaur-like creatures, you're basically talking giant flightless birds. So, start with something like an ostritch or a rhea, and use CRISPR to make selective edits aimed at increasing leg size and bone density. This would require a comprehensive understanding of development in these species, of course, and that's probably not there yet. You'd also want to create a fairly diverse source population so the new species wouldn't suffer from inbreeding issues.

Once you got the leg strength and body mass up, it's time to go for big sharp teeth. Increase spine strength and musculature, and then reactive that talpid2 gene with modifications that allow the embryos to survive to adulthood:

https://www.science.org/content/article/mutant-chickens-grow...

Now, would this giant mutant toothed ostrich be a dinosaur? For all intents and purposes, yes. Would doing this be a good idea, would you want these things running around suburban neighborhoods devouring stray cats and terrorizing the local human population? Maybe not.

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#14
The dinosaurs lived in an incomprehensibly different world. From the food and nutrition to the very air they were breathing which we only have vague ideas about. That means the first several generations at the very least would suffer and die from various nutrition, toxicity and environment issues. Even after all that got figured out the dinosaurs would likely have be confined to some small controlled environment right down to the air they breath because this is not the world they are evolved to exist in. Humans can't even figure out how to keep many currently living species alive in captivity and we can study them in the wild.

Basically if we bring back dinosaurs it will be to torture them for our amusement and curiosity. Even if unintentional. The movies make us think Jurassic Park but the reality would be more like a slaughter house or medical experiment lab. The movie wouldn't be exciting if every scene was the same as that sick triceratops. Its actually hilarious if you think up a version of the movie in your head where they just walk around watching animals dying and laboring to breath.

"they're hunting us!"

"lol JK you should have seen your face. No they would pass out after two steps if they tried to chase us. We have to feed them through tubes because they don't even have the energy to chew"

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#15

I find it fascinating that we may be able to clone extinct species, but I agree with the warnings about the dangers of de-extinction. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. It's important to consider the potential consequences of bringing back ancient species, both for the animals themselves and for the ecosystem. It's also worth noting that even if we are able to successfully clone a dinosaur, it's…

Let’s build huge new habitats for them in orbit.

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#16

The dinosaurs lived in an incomprehensibly different world. From the food and nutrition to the very air they were breathing which we only have vague ideas about. That means the first several generations at the very least would suffer and die from various nutrition, toxicity and environment issues. Even after all that got figured out the dinosaurs would likely have be confined to some small controlled environment righ…

Life.. uh.. finds a way

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anyone is considering this as really bringing them back and releasing them into an ecosystem, just Jurassic Park type novelty.

If you bring them back, it's only a matter of time before they are in the ecosystem. Maybe we contain it for a decade, a century at most but it's going to happen. It's basically the plot of the entire movie series.

I think that's unrealistic - they either eat all their food (if there is even a climate they can survive in) or they get caught. Though this won't apply to small species as much. But the small dynos won't necessarily ruin the ecosystem as they won't be the apex predator. Not like a T-Rex is going to run around without being found, unless the host country collapses and no one cares. But it will just go extinct again, after causing some damage.

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#18

The dinosaurs lived in an incomprehensibly different world. From the food and nutrition to the very air they were breathing which we only have vague ideas about. That means the first several generations at the very least would suffer and die from various nutrition, toxicity and environment issues. Even after all that got figured out the dinosaurs would likely have be confined to some small controlled environment righ…

Yes, my thought exactly. The oxygen level in the air was significantly higher and there is no way some of those larger dinosaurs could exist without much higher oxygen content.

Re: What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

#19

The dinosaurs lived in an incomprehensibly different world. From the food and nutrition to the very air they were breathing which we only have vague ideas about. That means the first several generations at the very least would suffer and die from various nutrition, toxicity and environment issues. Even after all that got figured out the dinosaurs would likely have be confined to some small controlled environment righ…

Yeah, they need to place theses jurassic creatures in a park on an island somewhere.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

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