A Proposal For The De-Extinction Of The Falkland Islands Wolf

Traversing Life’s Limits: A Proposal for the

“De-extinction” of the Falkland Islands Wolf

Extinction is the rival of diversity. Since the beginning of time, the story has been the same; a bigger, badder organism is introduced into an ecosystem and causes disturbances that have the potential to eradicate other species. Thus, extinction is reached through displacement. Species can also become extinct because of extreme climate conditions, but it is more likely influenced by another species taking up residence. Unfortunately, this leads to a radical decrease in biological diversity which leaves many unanswered questions about several captivating specimens such as the saber-tooth tiger or woolly mammoth. With constant advances in modern technology,

The animal was first discovered on the island that gave it its name by Charles Darwin (Oshman). Darwin was fascinated with these creatures because they were the only mammals on the island at the time, and they were the dominant predator (ARKive). Despite this, Darwin noted that they were a very gentle species and extremely curious of humans. Their scientific name is Dusicyon australis, and though called a wolf, they more closely resemble a fox in physical appearance. These wolves could live in several different terrains, but they were only ever found on the Falkland Islands (Oshman). How they came to be the only mammals native to the islands is still a mystery, though several possible explanations exist. Lamentably, by 1876, the Falkland Island wolves had been completely eradicated by settlers

Due to the scientific advances, bringing a species back from extinction has actually been done before and holds promise for the future. Now it just boils down to which species we should bring back. The Falkland Island wolf is an excellent candidate for de-extinction since few samples of its DNA have been found in the bones and fur Darwin brought back from his excursion to the island (Oshman). They also wouldn’t pose a large threat to human life due to their small size and gentle disposition. Bringing back any species will be beneficial to humans if just for the sake of proving we can, so why not make it something that is cute, cuddly, and mysterious? After all, it can’t be worse than bringing back rampaging