14 Extinct Animals That Could Be Resurrected

Woolly Mammoth Woolly mammoths, a species of social animals, could be a potential de-extinction target. Paleogeneticists have sequenced the woolly mammoth genome, leading to potential efforts to create a woolly mammoth through cloning or editing the Asian elephant's genome. Researchers from Russia and South Korea are also working to bring back the Lena horse using cells from a 40,000-year-old foal in Siberia. However, ethical concerns rema

Tasmanian Tiger The Tasmanian tiger, Australia's largest carnivorous marsupial, went extinct in the 1930s due to climate change, bounty hunting, and genetic diversity. Despite this, some specimens remain intact, and their natural habitat still exists. A major project to clone the thylacine ended due to insufficient DNA..

Pyrenean Ibex The Pyrenean ibex, or bucardo, became the first extinct animal to become un-extinct for seven minutes. The cloned fetus, containing reanimated DNA from the last known living ibex, was successfully implanted in a domestic goat's womb. Although the ibex died seven minutes after birth, the breakthrough paved the way for cloning preservation programs.

Saber-Toothed Cats The resurrected saber-toothed cats of Pleistocene lore may be a risky idea due to the difficulty in finding an unrelated surrogate to carry the embryo and provide suitable habitat, and the lack of sufficient ancient DNA for a database.

Moa Moas, once the world's largest flightless birds, were hunted to extinction 600 years ago in New Zealand. Scientists have extracted moa DNA from eggshells, but scientists are skeptical about a successful moa clone reintroduction.

Dodo The dodo, a notorious extinct animal, was driven to extinction 80 years after its discovery due to its lack of natural predators and invasive species. Scientists hope to recover the dodo by creating a clone to implant in modern pigeon eggs, allowing it to return to its native habitat.

Ground Sloth Fossil remains of ancient ground sloths, closely related to modern-day three-toed sloths, are considered de-extinction due to their existence 8,000 years ago. DNA samples from hair remains show their survival is impossible due to their small size.

Carolina Parakeet The Carolina parakeet, once the only US parrot species, was hunted for feathers. Virginia Tech is attempting to implant the Carolina parakeet genome into the Jandaya parakeet's egg, despite the risk of the bird becoming an invasive species due to suitable climate conditions.

Woolly Rhinoceros Woolly rhinoceros, a massive hairy creature on the Pleistocene tundra, have been found in ancient cave art and Arctic permafrost. They share similarities with the woolly mammoth, but lack suitable habitat for repopulation due to climate change and shrinking habitats.

Passenger Pigeon Passenger pigeons, once abundant in North America, were wiped out by 1914 due to hunting. Now, cloning technology could give the bird a second chance. Revive and Restore is working on a project to edit a band-tailed pigeon's genome to create a passenger pigeon, aiming to conserve the North American ecosystem.

Irish Elk The Irish elk, once considered the largest deer, was wiped out by the end of an ice age due to its inability to adapt to the warming climate. DNA analysis reveals it was more closely related to fallow deer. The species' extinction and lack of habitat in Ireland raise ethical concerns.

Baiji River Dolphin The Baiji River dolphin, declared "functionally extinct" in 2007, became the first cetacean to go extinct in modern times due to human influence. DNA can still be extracted from its remains, but the question remains about its future home. The Yangtze River system, its natural habitat, remains heavily polluted due to industrial pollution and plastics shipped to China.

Huia The huia, a unique beaked bird from New Zealand, became extinct in the early 20th century due to high museum demand. A 1999 project aimed to clone and resurrect the bird, but the South Island Kokako and North Island Kokako are threatened by invasive species, potentially using money to preserve extant species.

Neanderthal The cloning of the Neanderthal species is controversial due to logistical issues and the possibility of a hybrid Neanderthal offspring. However, ethical considerations outweigh technicality, as many countries ban human cloning. Cloning Neanderthals could strengthen the human genome and add hybrid vigor. Early experiments may result in stillbirths, defects, and immunity to modern bacteria and viruses. There is also debate on whether Neanderthals would be able to communicate and manage modern daily life functions.
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