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What would it take to bring back the dinosaurs?

thewalrus.ca

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

#71

Post by jcfrei »

citizenpaul wrote: post #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 righ…

Pretty unlikely that we would be able to find a complete DNA of a single species of dinosaur. More likely we would have to patch it together and while we're at it might as well modify it allow them to survive under current conditions. Just speaking hypothetically here but that seems like the more probable scenario.

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

#72

Post by rirze »

treis wrote: post #31

I don't think it's this simple. The structure of the egg and uterine environment play important roles in development. It's like a programming language with a compiler written in it's own language. Losing the living animals is like losing the compiler. Using a related animal is like using a fork of the lost compiler to recompile the lost compiler. If that fork has changed something you'll end up with something slightl…

I partly think the first animal born from such a process will not be a true representation of the genes it's born from-- that would require a second-generation organism borne from a pregnancy of its own kind.

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

#73

Post by skirmish »

TheMaskedCoder wrote: post #69
DonHopkins wrote: post #29

Bringing back dinosaurs is a lot like using regular expressions: Some people, when confronted with a problem, think "I know, I'll bring back dinosaurs." Now they have two problems.

Suddenly, I am very curious about what problem could possibly inspire bringing back dinosaurs as a potential solution...

Infestation by resurrected mammoths, of course.

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

#75

Post by vkou »

chasil wrote: post #38
citizenpaul wrote: post #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 righ…

As far as I understand, keeping such creatures alive would require facilities with enriched oxygen. If the large ones escaped, they would suffocate. "...large dinosaurs really required to be living in an oxygen tent. An atmosphere in the neighborhood of 35 percent oxygen would be considerably more compatible with large dinosaurs than one in the neighborhood of 28." Volcanic activity in the Cretaceous enabled these hi…

Why would a 2% CO2 atmosphere combat wildfires? It's a non-reacting gas, but so is nitrogen... And yet, wildfires still happen, despite our 79% nitrogen atmosphere.

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

#76

Post by Name_Chawps »

rrgok wrote: post #64
citizenpaul wrote: post #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 righ…

"Basically if we bring back dinosaurs it will be to torture them for our amusement and curiosity". Just a thought experiment, I hope I won't be downvoted to hell. Isn't this the predicament of all beings? You might say, that some people enjoy life, but at that point you should 1) Confirm that all beings are not answering with a Stockholm Syndrome 2) Confirm what is the subjective experience of the dinosaur

I have neutral or positive emotions most of the time, and negative emotions only rarely. I almost never have negative thoughts (anymore).

You hit me with Stockholm Syndrome; I respond with Typical Mind Fallacy. Just because your life is largely suffering, you assume that all humans lives must largely consist of suffering. This is not true.

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

#77

Post by sohamssd »

subsubzero wrote: post #37

I love thought experiments like these, One would have to think where could ancient dinosaur DNA survive? Antarctica has been covered by ice for 5 million years, that is still 60 million years too young. Maybe there are a few bugs that have dino dna that is better preserved than the stuff that has been exposed to sunlight and elements the past 5 million years. And even if there is viable dna you would have to drill do…

My interest was piqued when you mentioned cuts would heal faster. Is there a video that explains what life would be like if the earth had higher concentrations of oxygen? (30,50,70)?

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

#78

Post by hvs »

jcfrei wrote: post #71
citizenpaul wrote: post #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 righ…

Pretty unlikely that we would be able to find a complete DNA of a single species of dinosaur. More likely we would have to patch it together and while we're at it might as well modify it allow them to survive under current conditions. Just speaking hypothetically here but that seems like the more probable scenario.

It seems like more than an issue of DNA to create a 50 ton dinosaur that could survive in a modern climate. Dinosaurs were able to reach their sizes precisely because of the oxygen-rich environment, not just their DNA.

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

#79

Post by Tyrannosaur »

chasil wrote: post #38
citizenpaul wrote: post #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 righ…

As far as I understand, keeping such creatures alive would require facilities with enriched oxygen. If the large ones escaped, they would suffocate. "...large dinosaurs really required to be living in an oxygen tent. An atmosphere in the neighborhood of 35 percent oxygen would be considerably more compatible with large dinosaurs than one in the neighborhood of 28." Volcanic activity in the Cretaceous enabled these hi…

Wait, why would carbon dioxide levels have any effect on wildfires more than, say nitrogen?

For wildfires, I would expect the proportion of oxygen to matter much more than other gasses not involved in combustion.

Perhaps there's a difference in humidity levels, and therefore specific heat of the air?

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

#80

Post by tsimionescu »

rirze wrote: post #72
treis wrote: post #31

I don't think it's this simple. The structure of the egg and uterine environment play important roles in development. It's like a programming language with a compiler written in it's own language. Losing the living animals is like losing the compiler. Using a related animal is like using a fork of the lost compiler to recompile the lost compiler. If that fork has changed something you'll end up with something slightl…

I partly think the first animal born from such a process will not be a true representation of the genes it's born from-- that would require a second-generation organism borne from a pregnancy of its own kind.

You would possibly need many more generations, if it can even be achieved, as the Tyrannosaurus born from a chicken egg is not itself a true Tyrannosaurus and may not be able to create the right kinds of eggs because of that.
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