They can, but should they? Scientists bringing back woolly mammoth from extinction

Experiment will 'de-extinct' woolly mammoth.

Scientists are ready to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction using new gene editing technology. The creature will be a hybrid, spliced with an Asian elephant, and will spark a debate about 'de-extincting' species that we have lost.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- How many more sequels to Jurassic Park do we need to see to get the message? Bringing back long-extinct creatures may not be the smartest idea. Despite the cautionary tale, scientists are planning to do just that. The first creature will be the woolly mammoth.

The last woolly mammoth walked the earth, and died around 4,500 years ago. It is likely it died as a result of climate change and hunting by humans. The closest relative of the mammoth is the Asian elephant, although that species is much better adapted to tropical climate. The woolly mammoth was characterized by long, shaggy fur, and massive tusks. It lived in the Arctic, wandering into Siberia and as far south as Spain in Europe and the central U.S. states. Other species of mammoth wandered as far south as modern Mexico.

The woolly mammoth will have its genes spliced with those of its closest living relative, the Asian elephant. This will produce a hybrid offspring that looks very much like the original woolly mammoth.

Scientists only plan to produce an embryo at this time, and there are no plans to birth the creature. However, if embryonic tests are successful it is likely they will advance their work until they have birthed a live woolly mammoth or hybrid. Because Asian elephants are also endangered, there are no plans to implant the hybrid into an actual Asian elephant. Instead, researchers hope to use an artificial womb to foster the embryo until testing is complete.

The DNA for the embryo will come from a specimen extracted out of ice in Siberia. The gene editing technology known as CRISPR will be used to splice the DNA. That technology has been available since 2012, and is cheap and efficient.

Most people agree the experiment is feasible. The question is, where does it stop?

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