Man and nature were responsible for the extinction of species. The Woolly Mammoth disappeared thousands of years ago due to climate change and hunting by humans (during the Pleistocene). The Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger was hunted down to extinction by ranchers and farmers in Australia (the last one died in the 1930’s in a zoo) since they posed a threat to cattle and livestock. The Yangtze River Dolphin died out in 2002 due to severe pollution of the river. Scientists and conservationists who try to save and preserve threatened species or resurrect extinct ones are similar to what Noah had done before the floods (placed the animals in the ark before they drowned) and thereby saving them from extinction. He is considered as the first conservationist.
Fair point - however there are some questions that maybe need answers.
Taking the examples you provide above…
The Tasmanian Tiger -
Is there some lack of balance in the eco-system that you believe the return of this animal might address?
Is the idea to return it to the wild? This would threaten to reintroduce the same dynamic that led to their extinction.
Is the idea to keep some in zoos or preserves? Then isn’t one guilty of simply recreating the species for one’s own amusement? Keeping it in an unnatural state?
With the Dolphin -
Similar dynamic as above - except that one can ask
a) If they are reintroduced to the same (cleaned up) river - has the niche they filled been filled by another animal? The Eco-system will have changed by their absence. Is it fair to the other creatures who DID/DO survive, to reintroduce this predator?
b) If you reintroduce them into another river (because the Yantse is still polluted) are you not artificially upsetting the balance of the current eco-system in that river?
With the Wooly Mammoth it becomes even trickier - -
Is it fair to recreate a species into a world that may well be extremely different than the one it lived in?
What are it’s dietary requirements? Would it be resistant to the germs in the modern world? Could you reintroduce it somewhere? What would THAT do to an ecosystem?
Someone mentioned cloning dinosaurs…how different is today’s ecosystem to that of the dinosaur?
I like your analogy to Noah…But when Noah released the animals it was into basically a blank slate and nature then took it’s course. What we have is quite different.
Understand - I am not saying that one should or should not do this thing…Just suggesting that there are serious questions that need to be answered.
I can tell you now that I would be against cloning an animal simply to keep in in some “unnatural” environment where their survival is wholly dependent on humans.
Yet - as pointed out above, reintroducing them to the wild has it’s own problems as is being seen with some other experiments with reintroductions.
To make comparison…
The American Bison - saved from extinction and now residing wild in Yellowstone National Park - regularly leaves the park in winter and encroaches on the surrounding “cattle country”. This causes economic problems for the surrounding ranchers.
How much more “range” would a herd of Woolly Mammoths need?
The reintroduction of wolves and coyotes has resulted healthy populations but also in increased attacks on domestic animals.
In your OP, you give the reason for cloning as correcting man’s mistake.
Frankly - I don’t see man as having sufficient wisdom to be able to do this without making other, and possibly worse - mistakes. Better to just accept that which has happened, and move forward.
Sorry - I didn’t mean to get so long winded.
Peace
James
To resurrect these animals might give us a clearer understanding as to why DNA sought to increase size at that time. Perhaps it ‘knows’ that larger is stronger, and that the stronger survives… But if that is true, then why haven’t modern wild animals been increasing in size since the last ice age?