Over 3.5 billion years, it is estimated that around 4 billion species have existed on Earth. However, 99% of these species are now extinct. Researchers are working to bring back these lost species, or something similar to them, within the next few years. Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology company, is attempting to do this by using gene editing technology to create a cold-resistant elephant that closely resembles the woolly mammoth, a long-extinct giant of the last ice age, in both appearance and function.
Woolly mammoths became extinct around 3,700 years ago, but their close genetic relatives, such as elephants, still exist today. According to geneticist George Church, elephants and mammoths are very closely related, with Asian elephants and woolly mammoths sharing 99.6% of their genes. Colossal Biosciences, co-founded by Church and tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm, is using gene editing technology to modify the remaining 0.4% of genes in Asian elephants to create a species that closely resembles the woolly mammoth in appearance and function.
The team is focusing on the traits that are necessary for the elephants to thrive in this environment, such as the ability to metabolize substances at sub-zero temperatures and the possession of a shaggy coat and small ears. The goal is to create a species that can successfully be reintroduced into the wild.
Woolies Walking on Earth: Life to Extinction
Woolly mammoths are believed to have evolved around 300,000 years ago and were found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Most of the mammoth populations became extinct about 10,000 years ago, but the last population of woolly mammoths is thought to have survived on Wrangel Island in Arctic Siberia until 1650 B.C. Woolly mammoths were massive animals, reaching a height of 13 feet and weighing 6 to 8 tons. They were herbivores and played a crucial role in maintaining the health and biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they lived due to their size and diet.
The Arctic currently consists of mostly moss, shrubs, and sparse forests, but when mammoths lived there, the landscape was grassy. To Church, the Arctic needs restoration; and introducing native populations, such as elephant-mammoth hybrids, could help restore the natural ecosystem. Elephant-mammoth hybrids have the unique ability to knock down trees and restore grasslands, which no other species can do.
It may seem counterintuitive to knock down trees to save the planet, but according to Ben Lamm, "not all trees are created equal." In some environments, such as rainforests, trees provide a habitat for many different species of animals.
However, in the Arctic, trees exclude larger animals and trap snow, causing a thick layer that traps warmth and leads to thawing, according to George Church.
When the frozen soil in the Arctic thaws, carbon that has been locked inside for centuries can be released into the atmosphere as methane, which is 80 times more harmful to global warming than carbon dioxide, according to George Church. Large herbivores can compact the snow and reduce its insulating properties, reducing the risk of soil thaw.
Illustration of a woolly mammoth in the Arctic. Scientists are hoping to genetically engineer elephants to exhibit the traits of the extinct woolly mammoth, which went extinct 3,500 years ago.
Climate Condition in Woolies Habitat
Grasslands also reflect more heat and light into the atmosphere compared to forests, which absorb more heat. Additionally, grasses have deep root systems that allow them to store more carbon underground and are more reliable at storing carbon in unstable habitats compared to trees.
There are several theories about why woolly mammoths became extinct. As the Earth warmed at the end of the last Ice Age around 11,000 years ago, the area of land with suitable climate conditions for the animals shrank, leading to a decline in their populations. Climate change may have also impacted the amount of food available to the herbivorous mammoths. However, some researchers believe that the extinction of mammoths was exacerbated by human hunters who used weapons like spears. Church believes that this theory is quite likely.
The Arctic is not just missing woolly mammoths, but almost all major herbivores. In Africa, where there is more food, large mammals were able to recover from human hunting. However, the Arctic is a challenging environment to survive in and has a low population density of both humans and animals, making it more vulnerable to change. George Church notes that it is easier for the balance to shift in either direction in the Arctic.
Criticism Amidst de-extinction Efforts
The de-extinction project has faced criticism, with an article in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution in 2017 arguing that it is a waste of resources that could be better used for conserving existing species. However, Ben Lamm has stated that the technologies developed for creating elephant-mammoth hybrids could also have applications for human health. There have also been ethical concerns raised about the welfare of these animals, including the issue of mother-infant bonds in elephants. Colossal Biosciences is reportedly working with conservation groups that have experience caring for orphaned elephants to ensure that they have a good quality of life.
George Church has noted that elephant orphans are often the result of poaching or natural death and that there is knowledge about how to care for them with artificial milk and minimal herd involvement. However, some people have concerns about the use of genetic engineering to create elephant-mammoth hybrids, which are considered genetically modified organisms. Therefore, every step of the process must be carefully considered to ensure that these animals do not harm the ecosystems in which they are placed.
Lamm points out that it is easier to monitor and control the actions of a few large animals, such as mammoths, compared to smaller organisms like mosquitoes. The team is only working with a small number of relatively large animals, allowing them to closely monitor the intended and potential unintended consequences of the genetic modifications. The de-extinction project is being pursued by three labs and over 40 scientists. According to Lamm, the project is currently on track to achieve its original goal timeline of 2027, including the 22 months of elephant gestation.
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