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NZ scientists leading de-extinction discussion
NZ scientists leading de-extinction discussion
9 May
2017
A University of Otago professor has led a
special journal issue focused on de-extinction, pouring cold
water on the idea that woolly mammoths might be making a
come-back.
Writing in an editorial, guest editor Professor Philip Seddon predicted the next decade would see the cloning or genetic reconstruction of some version of a formerly extinct species.
However, he writes that the
most sensible candidates for de-extinction would be recently
extinct species, whose return would provide clear
conservation benefit, rather than long-gone species like moa
or woolly mammoth.
The six papers in the special issue of
Functional Ecology consider the feasibility and
implications of resurrecting extinct species.
Links to the special issue papers are on scimex.org.
Press releases are available on scimex
from the University of Otago, University of Canterbury and
University of Queensland.
Several authors from the special issue will be blogging about their papers on sciblogs.co.nz, including the University of Canterbury's Dr Tammy Steeves and Landcare Research's Dr Jamie Wood.
Prof Seddon's post is available now: De-extinction: the devil is in the details.
ends
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