The Resurrection of the Woolly Mammoth
By HUGH KANG
Big woolly mammoths are a thing of the past. Having gone extinct approximately 3,700 years ago, woolly mammoths were giant creatures that roamed the planet during the Ice Age. However, due to rising sea levels and temperatures, mammoths were trapped on an island called Wrangel Island, where they spent their final days as a species.
Figure 1: Realistic illustration of the woolly mammoth
Source: Aunt_Spray Getty Images
However, with the recent developments of biotechnological innovations, the idea of resurrecting the woolly mammoths became a thought that crossed the minds of many scientists around the world.
Of course, this species that could possibly be brought back would not be the carbon copies of the creatures that roamed the earth 10,000 years ago. They would be considered “proxy species,” with traits and ecological roles that would imitate the original species.
The reason why the woolly Mammoth became a frontrunning candidate for a potential resurrection project was because of their uncanny similarities with the current living species: the Asian elephant. Reportedly, the animals have not only demonstrated a similarity in the genomes, but the scientists working on the project also found that many of the traits of the woolly mammoth could be coded into the genomes of the Asian elephant, resulting in a glimpse of scientific hope for resurrection.
However, considering the massive changes that our planet has undergone in terms of temperature, environment, and landscape, the woolly mammoth revival project would place emphasis on simply creating an adaptation of the current Asian elephants that would be able to survive in the Arctic climate, rather than resurrecting the species for yada yada (make sure what you’re comparing the purpose of the project to a is made a little clearer).
So, why would we need to bring back an ancient species?
First and foremost, these species could be a tide-changing tool in our fight against climate change. With the presence of woolly mammoths, many of the insulation layers of snow would be compacted and cleared away from their simple movements, allowing the soil to not experience the harsh effects of the winter freeze. Without such a presence in addition to the warming summers, permafrost is melted at a significantly higher rate and previously contained greenhouse gases are released.
Additionally, the work of Dr. Sergey Zimov, the director of Northeast Science Station, has even revealed that introducing such grazers to our current tundras could transform the ecosystem in a way that allows permafrost to maintain its levels during the winter.
Moreover, studying such ancient DNA in its purest life form would also reveal new discoveries that could change modern medicine. Understanding the information that is hidden in the genomes of Asian elephants could allow us to discover new information about mammal hemoglobin, translating to new discoveries in human diseases.
However, most importantly, this project will be a great step towards the conservation of large mammal species. Due to the growth of the ivory tusk black market, poaching is increasingly becoming an issue. Advancing the reproductive technologies of these elephants could finally bring this issue to an end, while simultaneously bring us new advancement in the medical and biological fields.
Q&A Section
Jiwon: In your article, you mentioned how resurrecting the woolly mammoth would be more like creating a new species of Asian elephants that can survive in the Arctic, rather than bringing back the woolly mammoth in itself. Why is this so? What prevents us from replicating the woolly mammoth perfectly even if we have its DNA?
Great question. Due to the simple fact that we have to resort to creating a “proxy species”, rather than working with a woolly mammoth simply obstructs us from creating a perfect recreation. Thus, we have to work with the Asian elephants, which have been selected as the species most similar to the wooly mammoth, as a foundation.
Sally: Would this project of resurrecting woolly mammoths have an effect on other species? Are there any concerns regarding its possible effect on the ecosystem or the food chain?
In the case that we do successfully resurrect the woolly mammoth, there will be immediate impacts on the ecosystem. However, it is important to note that scientists, such as researchers from the Northeast Science Station, predict that the mammoths will bring positive impacts to the ecosystem, in terms of ecological balance and mitigating climate change.
Xavier: You briefly mentioned that new discoveries on mammoth hemoglobin could translate to developments in our understanding of human diseases. How exactly are these topics related?
As fellow mammals, the entire resurrection project has allowed researchers to take big steps towards understanding the bodies of mammals, and hemoglobins are a key example, as they are present in all mammals.
Eric: Do mammoths release emissions on levels similar to other large animals? Would their displacement of snow still work to have a net benefit on the environment?
You bring up a good point of discussion. Obviously, the greenhouse gas emission of cows is a point of concern, but it seems like that is only an issue because of the vastly greater population of cows. With mammoths, they will only provide a positive impact to the environment.
Hannah: You mentioned in your article about advancing the reproductive technologies of the elephants. But what exactly is this reproductive technology and how does it relate to bringing mammoths back to our world?
By successfully resurrecting this ancient species, we can also begin to experiment with the resurrection of other species, especially when the extinction of species is a big point of concern.
John: Between 200 and 2000 extinctions occur each year. Can the rate at which we return species outmatch the rate at which species go extinct? Should we even attempt to return all extinct species? What criterion should we use to make the decision to return a species?
In the near future, it does not seem likely that we can outpace the rate of extinction, especially as we have yet to successfully achieve the goal of resurrection. However, an understanding of such a process would be invaluable, not just in terms of resurrecting but a greater understanding of life itself.
Wooseok: Are there any other current projects regarding the ‘revival’ of ancient species that are not necessarily mammalian?
A famous example of a successful resurrection was a species called the Pyrenean ibex, which was very similar to the wild goat. However, the species quickly became extinct after being “de-extincted”, indicating that the process is still very unstable.
Works Cited
Schnebly, Risa. “The Embryo Project Encyclopedia.” Revive & Restore's Woolly Mammoth Revival Project | The Embryo Project Encyclopedia, Arizona State University. School of Life Sciences. Center for Biology and Society. Embryo Project Encyclopedia., 19 Aug. 2020, embryo.asu.edu/pages/revive-restores-woolly-mammoth-revival-project#:~:text=As of 2020, researchers have,method for reintroducing extinct species.
“WOOLLY MAMMOTH REVIVAL.” Revive & Restore, reviverestore.org/projects/woolly-mammoth/.
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