Between 2007 and 2012, several frozen mammoth specimens were discovered with varying levels of preservation. In 2008, 10 million dollars was mentioned as the general cost to bring them back from extinction. In 2010, more was learned about the antifreeze properties of their blood, and in 2011 they estimated half a decade of extra work to successfully clone it. Now, Harvard University reports that they have managed to incorporate genes from a woolly mammoth into the DNA of an elephant… in the laboratory.
Once again, the news arises that the woolly mammoth could return to the world with the help of genetics experts. Why are we so interested in the return of this giant? Scientists still debate whether the main factor behind its extinction was hunting, the effect of climate change at that time, or a combination of both. The most solid data places the last known population of mammoths on Wrangel Island four thousand years ago, and it has been confirmed that its disappearance there was not due to a lack of genetic diversity. Thanks to the material found on the island, a group of researchers at Harvard University has managed to make high-precision modifications to the DNA of a modern elephant, inserting the genes of a woolly mammoth.
According to George Church, a genetics professor at the university, the process gave special priority to genes related to fur, ear size, cold resistance, and subcutaneous fat, critical elements for mammoth survival. The result is a series of elephant cells completely functional with woolly mammoth DNA in them, something very complex without a doubt, but the experts counted on specific advantages, such as the relationship between the mammoth and the Asian elephant. It is the first time in four thousand years that mammoth genes return to life, however, it is not correct to think of a "super-secret Jurassic park" with mammoths running around. All the process has been carried out in the laboratory, which should contain any deep ethical debate… for now.
Needless to say, all arrows point to the cloning of the woolly mammoth, and sooner or later, those debates will need to take place. What are the benefits associated with the return of the mammoth? Do we have the right to use elephants as "surrogate mothers"? Why not channel these resources to protect modern endangered species and increase their diversity? Is it fair to ruin an ecosystem and then clone whatever disappears? On the other hand, Dolly the sheep never managed to fully escape the lenses and studies. Who can guarantee that the same won't happen with a potential mammoth clone? When the time comes, we hope there are very good answers.
