De-extinction company announces that the dire wolf is back

[Orionblamblam]

what worry me a bit is: will they brake ethics boundaries one day,
and resurrect Neandertaler Humans ? Egypt mummy ? death celebrity ?

Cloning an Egyptian pharaoh would lead to a *lot* of people losing their minds when he doesn't look like they thought he would.

 

[Foo Fighter]

The greater striped plastic pigeon?

 

[Archibald]

The large wooden badger ? the beast rabbit of caerbannog ?

 

[Justo Miranda]

Animals simply survive by consuming the always scarce food available, reproducing excessively when food is abundant and attacking each other when it is scarce.

If their environment becomes hostile, they try to migrate or adapt by modifying their anatomy if there is enough time or by becoming stupidly extinct if the change is too fast.

And that's it, million years after million years, with no other objective than to survive very painfully.

Humans CHANGE things and when the environment becomes hostile, they modify it for their own benefit, while controlling their own rate of reproduction.

The human who abominates these achievements in favor of an ecosystem that self-regulates at the cost of infinite suffering and zero results, is simply an imbecile.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7319913416058064133

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@papacondatos/video/7319913416058064133?lang=es

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP4Rf5j3BBE

 

[Arjen]

Humans CHANGE things and when the environment becomes hostile, they modify it for their own benefit,

Well... what some humans perceive as to their own benefit. And sometimes proves to also be beneficial to, say, cockroaches and pests that attack culture crops, but also leads to the decline of song birds, butterflies, bees - hey! we needed those for pollination of culture crops! - inconvenient droughts because of soil erosion...

while controlling their own rate of reproduction.

Eight billion humans and counting. That's more than double what it was fifty years ago.

 

[Dilandu]

what comes after Dire Wolf ?

A domesticated hyena is what I want...

 

[uk 75]

When not daydreaming in my alt 1975 I am enjoying watching Polar Bears so I have put in an order for one of these.

Ursus maritimus tyrannus - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

As for cuteness see for yourself

 

[Antonio]

Humans CHANGE things and when the environment becomes hostile, they modify it for their own benefit

This is "homeostasis", every living being does it.

There's no difference between us and the rest of living beings, we shoudn't be ashamed of it.

Activity from some species of bacteria changed the composition of Earth's atmosphere releasing oxygen.
About 2500 Mega Year ago. That was poisonous for most other bacteria and resulted in a massive extinction episode. After that, Earth was populated again from "oxygen breathers".
Should we blame them for that?

 

[Justo Miranda]

This is "homeostasis", every living being does it.

There's no difference between us and the rest of living beings, we shoudn't be ashamed of it.

Activity from some species of bacteria changed the composition of Earth's atmosphere releasing oxygen.
About 2500 Mega Year ago. That was poisonous for most other bacteria and resulted in a massive extinction episode. After that, Earth was populated again from "oxygen breathers".
Should we blame them for that?

I think the difference is in the behavior: automatic for bacteria and deliberate for humans. Some animals demonstrate great skill in using tools, but they do so because they have learned it from their parents or through trial and error.

Humans detect a need and design a solution.

Monkeys calculate the jump from one branch to another, humans have artillery boards.

A domesticated hyena is what I want...

They only mate once a year, I don't understand why they laugh.

 

[Antonio]

I think the difference is in the behavior: automatic for bacteria and deliberate for humans

I agree but adding that human behaviour is only partially deliberated.

Qué ocurre en el cerebro cuando se toman decisiones, según experto de Harvard

Se sabe que ante la toma de decisiones actúan distintas regiones del cerebro.Ahora, un estudio de científicos de Harvard detectó qué neuronas intervienen y cómo actúan unas sobre otras.

www.clarin.com

They only mate once a year, I don't understand why they laugh.

Mostly like humans...

 

[Arjen]

Scientists Claim to Have Brought Back the Dire Wolf

Startup Colossal Biosciences has edited the DNA of a gray wolf to produce what it says is a de-extincted animal. Does that make it a true dire wolf?

www.wired.com

To make the dire wolf, Colossal started with blood drawn from a gray wolf. Working on a type of blood cell called an epithelial progenitor cell, the team edited the DNA so that it more closely matched the genome of the dire wolf. They then took the genetic material from this cell and placed it into the egg cell of a domesticated dog that had had its genetic material removed. Once that egg cell had developed into an embryo, it was implanted into a surrogate dog.

It took eight surrogates and an average of 45 embryos per surrogate to get the dire wolf pups. Two surrogates gave birth to Romulus and Remus, and a third produced Khaleesi. Five of the embryo transfers did not result in successful pregnancies. A second female was born in January alongside Khaleesi, but she died after 10 days from an infection of the intestine.

A considerable effort with limited results.
The surrogate mothers are large domestic dogs.
NO dire wolf DNA, but grey wolf DNA edited so that it more closely matched the genome of the dire wolf.

In a less flashy but perhaps more ecologically significant advance, Colossal says it has used its new cloning technique to produce four red wolves, one of the most critically endangered species in the US. Red wolves were once common throughout the Eastern and South Central US, but intensive predator control programs and habitat loss have decimated their numbers. The species almost went extinct in the 1960s. As of this February, fewer than 20 wild red wolves are left in North Carolina. Approximately 270 are in captive breeding programs across the US with the intention of those animals being reintroduced in the wild.

 

[1635yankee]

What a rubbish. So trying to correct your mistake is bad, because you won't feel guilty about making the mistake anymore?

They're not trying "to correct a mistake"; human culpability for the extinction of dire wolves is likely nil, and is far from certain for mammoths and mammoths.

I'll believe they're trying to "correct a mistake" when they try to de-extinct something that's recent and not charismatic.

 

[Justo Miranda]

A joint study of brain functioning funded by Harward and Huawei can't be any good.

 

[Orionblamblam]

They're not trying "to correct a mistake"; human culpability for the extinction of dire wolves is likely nil, and is far from certain for mammoths and mammoths.

I'll believe they're trying to "correct a mistake" when they try to de-extinct something that's recent and not charismatic.

Yeah. Poor Smallpox, snuffed out in the prime of its life...

 

[Justo Miranda]

In my country we had almost managed to eliminate wolves, but almost forty years ago an imbecile ecologist decided to breed some in captivity to study them. Local politicians receive large amounts of money from Brussels to compensate farmers who suffer losses from wolf attacks....and fraud is tolerated.

They have already begun to attack humans.

In my country, the wolf is an animal protected by law and you cannot ask the police for help in the face of attacks. That would be altering the ecological balance of the ecosystem, we should let them devour us to maintain the balance.



https://www.telecinco.es/noticias/s...ubirme-arbol-cangas-de-onis_18_012135680.html

 

[SUPER=BUG]

I'm not much against cloning these animals. But only if more preventive policies are in place. Now we are only worried about two things, on the one hand, the misuse of technology, and on the other hand, the pollution of the gene pool. And we believe that these can be regulated through subsequent legislation and the establishment of new standards. Science is like that, progressing in controversy. Personally, I don't have a problem with cloning these animals, but I just hope that they can go further, at least to see how this species will affect a small ecosystem, and then definitely whether to release it back into the wild, with as few side effects as possible. This technology will always evolve, even if it is not used to clone extinct animals in the future.

 

[SUPER=BUG]

This is "homeostasis", every living being does it.

There's no difference between us and the rest of living beings, we shoudn't be ashamed of it.

Activity from some species of bacteria changed the composition of Earth's atmosphere releasing oxygen.
About 2500 Mega Year ago. That was poisonous for most other bacteria and resulted in a massive extinction episode. After that, Earth was populated again from "oxygen breathers".
Should we blame them for that?

In the long run, it is beneficial for humanity to preserve species as much as possible.

 

[Justo Miranda]

In the long run, it is beneficial for humanity to preserve species as much as possible.

That's very well thought out: we're going to preserve crocodiles, mosquitoes, intestinal parasites, Tsetse flies, bull sharks, herpes virus, box-jellyfish, stonefish, desert viper...

Maybe at some future time these killers may prove useful to humanity.

 

[galgot]

What does Liz Truss has to do with the thread topic ?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotland/comments/x6e3go/chucky_wins

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotland/comments/x6e3go/chucky_wins/


(I'll see myself out)

They cloned a lettuce ?

 

[Arjen]

Maybe at some future time these killers may prove useful to humanity.

Ecosystems being as complex as they, taking out a few species can have surprising effects.

Now ask yourself. Do you feel lucky?

 

[Orionblamblam]

That's very well thought out: we're going to preserve crocodiles, mosquitoes, intestinal parasites, Tsetse flies, bull sharks, herpes virus, box-jellyfish, stonefish, desert viper...

Maybe at some future time these killers may prove useful to humanity.

Skeeters, Tsetse flies and intestinal parasites can be safely eliminated, I think (I suppose it may be possible that wiping out some species of skeeters could throw off the balance in some regions, with them being important food sources for fish and bats and whatnot). The others have a minimal impact on humanity, and there's no good reason to wipe them out. Wolves in Spain, for instance: I don't know the stats, but I'd be shocked if they killed more than one or two Spaniards per year on average. There are worse invasive species in Spain that might be gotten rid of first, I imagine.

 

[SUPER=BUG]

That's very well thought out: we're going to preserve crocodiles, mosquitoes, intestinal parasites, Tsetse flies, bull sharks, herpes virus, box-jellyfish, stonefish, desert viper...

Maybe at some future time these killers may prove useful to humanity.

Haha, of course, I'm actually curious about how to completely eradicate those parasites. Seriously, if we can make sure that there are enough of some birds, maybe the pest problem will be alleviated to some extent, isn't it?

 

[TinWing]

Scientists Claim to Have Brought Back the Dire Wolf

Startup Colossal Biosciences has edited the DNA of a gray wolf to produce what it says is a de-extincted animal. Does that make it a true dire wolf?

www.wired.com

A considerable effort with limited results.
The surrogate mothers are large domestic dogs.
NO dire wolf DNA, but grey wolf DNA edited so that it more closely matched the genome of the dire wolf.

The "Red Wolf" is essentially a grey wolf/coyote hybrid. In short, it's not a species in its own right, just a hoax perpetrated by 1970s conservationists to get funding to conserve a non-existant species. When the hoax was revealed by DNA testing, the conservations adopted the position that nearly all red wolves had become cross bred with coyotes. Their goal became the back breeding of red wolf characteristics from coyotes carrying hidden red wolf DNA. Basically science doesn't lie, but scientists sure do when conservation grant funding is available.

 

[Arjen]

Take out mosquito larvae from the ponds they dwell in, and an interesting cascade of events happens.

What does mosquito larvae eat? - The Environmental Literacy Council

What Do Mosquito Larvae Eat? A Deep Dive into Their Aquatic Diet Mosquito larvae, those wiggly little creatures swimming in […]

enviroliteracy.org

What Do Mosquito Larvae Eat? A Deep Dive into Their Aquatic Diet​

Mosquito larvae, those wiggly little creatures swimming in stagnant water, are more than just a nuisance – they’re a crucial part of the ecosystem, albeit one we’d often prefer to control. Understanding what they eat is key to understanding their lifecycle and developing effective control strategies. So, what’s on the menu for these aquatic youngsters? The primary diet of mosquito larvae consists of organic detritus and microorganisms. This includes bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi, and other microscopic particles found suspended in the water. They also consume plant debris, decaying organic matter, and even shed exoskeletons of insects (exuviae). Some species are even predatory, consuming other mosquito larvae. Think of them as tiny, underwater vacuum cleaners, constantly filtering their environment for sustenance. Their voracious appetite fuels their rapid growth, preparing them for their metamorphosis into pupae and, eventually, those pesky adult mosquitoes.

Just light blue touch paper, and find out what happens.

 

[TinWing]

Cloning an Egyptian pharaoh would lead to a *lot* of people losing their minds when he doesn't look like they thought he would.

King Tut was a product of multiple generations of inbreeding, with a number of congenital birth defects as a consequence. Since brother-sister marriage was surprisingly common among Egyptian dynasties, not just something invented by the Ptolemies, I can't imagine cloning any Egyptian pharaoh. You might as well clone the last of the Spanish Hapsburgs.

 

[Arjen]

The "Red Wolf" is essentially a grey wolf/coyote hybrid. In short, it's not a species in its own right, just a hoax perpetrated by 1970s conservationists to get funding to conserve a non-existant species.

Identified as a species by Audubon and Bachman in 1851. A contentious identification at times.
1870s conservationists, 1970s conservationists...

Colossal Sciences picking applications of its IP.

 

[Orionblamblam]

King Tut was a product of multiple generations of inbreeding, with a number of congenital birth defects as a consequence. Since brother-sister marriage was surprisingly common among Egyptian dynasties, not just something invented by the Ptolemies, I can't imagine cloning any Egyptian pharaoh. You might as well clone the last of the Spanish Hapsburgs.

Cloning ancient Egyptians might de-extinct a distinct ethnic group that has been lost to the millenia. Other than "hey, neat," i
m not sure what practical value there'd be in the enterprise. Maybe the shear entertainment value of watching the cult that would almost certainly rise of people who think that the clone is the *true* heir to the throne of Egypt.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Well, there is only SO mush room in the back garden for a pyramid so I'm afraid the sphynx is out. Sorry. Magic though, Dylan.....

 

[Justo Miranda]

Haha, of course, I'm actually curious about how to completely eradicate those parasites. Seriously, if we can make sure that there are enough of some birds, maybe the pest problem will be alleviated to some extent, isn't it?

For 99 percent of human history people wondered the same thing and if they had had our technology, they would surely have been exterminated. Now we have the means and suicidal legislation that prevents us from using them.

They prohibit the dog from scratching fleas.

Perhaps we should start by exterminating these laws.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Skeeters, Tsetse flies and intestinal parasites can be safely eliminated, I think (I suppose it may be possible that wiping out some species of skeeters could throw off the balance in some regions, with them being important food sources for fish and bats and whatnot). The others have a minimal impact on humanity, and there's no good reason to wipe them out. Wolves in Spain, for instance: I don't know the stats, but I'd be shocked if they killed more than one or two Spaniards per year on average. There are worse invasive species in Spain that might be gotten rid of first, I imagine.

That's a good example, Scott. The cane is not a native Spanish species because it comes from India. However, environmentalists have forbidden removing it from the banks of rivers and streams and when the water level rises sharply, this cursed plant obstructs bridges, turning them into dikes that burst due to overload. On October 29, the consequences of environmental legislation killed 228 people, mostly elderly people who could not leave their homes due to the speed of the tsunami. Nobody is going to pay for this.

 

[publiusr]

Life forms have always been in a state of flux—as with hybrids

Grizzly–polar bear hybrid - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

As to what is a “real” dire wolf may not have much meaning….if, say, it turns out some dire wolves were only from a certain valley.

“Crater lions” may be an example. On islands it is more extreme with pigmy elephants or huge Komodos.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Cloning ancient Egyptians might de-extinct a distinct ethnic group that has been lost to the millenia. Other than "hey, neat," i
m not sure what practical value there'd be in the enterprise. Maybe the shear entertainment value of watching the cult that would almost certainly rise of people who think that the clone is the *true* heir to the throne of Egypt.

There are thousands of examples of brilliant minds that deserve to be cloned rather than a pharaoh who can contribute nothing to the problems of our time. Can you imagine Democritus, Epicurus, Eratosthenes and Archimedes having a beer while discussing important things?

But if a researcher asks for funds to recycle them, he will not get even a thousandth of what he would get for resurrecting a stupid teenager... all for a golden mask, that is the measure of our society.

 

[Justo Miranda]

It is not difficult to kill mosquitoes, their larvae breathe through a snorkel when they are submerged, a small amount of oil in the water is enough to kill them... but that would be an attack on the environment, like DDT and anything else we can think of to eliminate the problem.

They kill one million humans a year

 

[Orionblamblam]

Can you imagine Democritus, Epicurus, Eratosthenes and Archimedes having a beer while discussing important things?

I cannot, because I'm pretty sure their bodies and any scrap of their DNA is lost. There are *oodles* of mummified Egyptians and Chinese and Peruvians who *might* be clonable (thought I expect probably not in the great majority of cases).

And there's the issue that just because you've cloned a Great Man like Archimedes or Heinlein or Teller or Browning there's no assurance he won't grow up to be a drooling moron because the original experienced something the copy didn't. See the documentary "The Boys From Brazil" for some idea of the trouble you'd have to go to to replicate the *person,* not just the DNA.

And even if you had a time machine and could bring the *real* Archimedes or Epicurus to the modern age doesn't mean they'd be at all useful. they did their thinking in an age that didn't already have their thinking to build upon. Perhaps today they'd be no more special than a podcaster, or, worse, a 1990's peddler of woo and newage on late night TV.

 

[Justo Miranda]

I cannot, because I'm pretty sure their bodies and any scrap of their DNA is lost. There are *oodles* of mummified Egyptians and Chinese and Peruvians who *might* be clonable (thought I expect probably not in the great majority of cases).

And there's the issue that just because you've cloned a Great Man like Archimedes or Heinlein or Teller or Browning there's no assurance he won't grow up to be a drooling moron because the original experienced something the copy didn't. See the documentary "The Boys From Brazil" for some idea of the trouble you'd have to go to to replicate the *person,* not just the DNA.

And even if you had a time machine and could bring the *real* Archimedes or Epicurus to the modern age doesn't mean they'd be at all useful. they did their thinking in an age that didn't already have their thinking to build upon. Perhaps today they'd be no more special than a podcaster, or, worse, a 1990's peddler of woo and newage on late night TV.

It was just a fantasy, Scott... remember that science fiction story in which a physicist manages to bring Shakespeare back to our time and a professor of English literature fails him for not knowing how to answer his questions about Shakespeare?

 

[publiusr]

Cuvier too far gone?
Record size brain as I recall.

He and Ramanujin likely had excellent genetics.

A great movie:

The Man Who Knew Infinity - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Justo Miranda]

Cuvier too far gone?
Record size brain as I recall.

He and Ramanujin likely had excellent genetics.

A great movie:

The Man Who Knew Infinity - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

On one occasion, Cuvier's students decided to play a joke on him. One night a guy dressed as a demon came into his bedroom and told him that he was there to devour him. Cuvier laughed and replied: "You can't eat me because you have herbivore horns."

 

[martinbayer]

Haha, of course, I'm actually curious about how to completely eradicate those parasites. Seriously, if we can make sure that there are enough of some birds, maybe the pest problem will be alleviated to some extent, isn't it?

States the self professed Super Bug...

 

[martinbayer]

Skeeters, Tsetse flies and intestinal parasites can be safely eliminated, I think (I suppose it may be possible that wiping out some species of skeeters could throw off the balance in some regions, with them being important food sources for fish and bats and whatnot). The others have a minimal impact on humanity, and there's no good reason to wipe them out. Wolves in Spain, for instance: I don't know the stats, but I'd be shocked if they killed more than one or two Spaniards per year on average. There are worse invasive species in Spain that might be gotten rid of first, I imagine.

I completely agree - the larger the species, the less we have to worry about them. The smaller biological(ly active) species get, the more threatening they become to humanity at large. Think Andromeda Strain vs. Jurassic Park.

 

[martinbayer]

The "Red Wolf" is essentially a grey wolf/coyote hybrid. In short, it's not a species in its own right, just a hoax perpetrated by 1970s conservationists to get funding to conserve a non-existant species. When the hoax was revealed by DNA testing, the conservations adopted the position that nearly all red wolves had become cross bred with coyotes. Their goal became the back breeding of red wolf characteristics from coyotes carrying hidden red wolf DNA. Basically science doesn't lie, but scientists sure do when conservation grant funding is available.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvlbJ0h35A