Extinction In Jurassic Park

According to Forbes Magazine, the record- setting box office earnings of Steven Spielberg 's 1993 blockbuster film, Jurassic Park, along with the continued success of its various sequels, underscores the continued public fascination with dinosaurs and other extinct species. Hone also emphasizes this public interest in extinct species as well as the unique insights into evolutionary history that scientists can gain from studying species that once roamed the earth (Hone). However, as in the Jurassic Park series, scientists are not always content to simply study the past. The phenomenon known as de-extinction, moves beyond studying the characteristics of species of the past and takes a larger step toward actually resurrecting them. While some

Supporters of de-extinction reason that by studying resurrected species first hand, scientists can learn the underlying causes of extinction and the role that humans played in the destruction of both the extinct species and their natural habitats. The idea is that researchers will be able to develop countermeasures that will restore the earth’s ecosystem to its original state.This counter argument is not valid, however, for two important reasons. According to Strayer, “First because we’ve been changing our world so rapidly, a de-extinguished species won’t be restored to its former ecosystem, but to a different, sometimes radically different ecosystem” (Strayer). This statement illustrates that the damage caused by humans may very likely have cumulative effects that have occured over many centuries; therefore, it is not reasonable to assume that all of these cumulative effects can be repaired by bringing back one species at a time. It would not be possible to recreate the exact circumstances of the earth’s ecosystems at a specific point in time because of differences in the role of species in the environment, the condition of the environment itself, and the present and future impacts of humans. Additionally,

While the research does suggest some benefits of de-extinction, such as allowing humans to correct abuses to the environment and aiding the development of technology that will help in preventing more endangered species from becoming extinct, researchers still need to engage in more focused study of the long term effects before launching widespread de-extinction projects. This additional study should emphasize the various dangers associated with de-extinction, such as the potential impact on public attitudes regarding conservation efforts, the diversion of limited funds from conservation, and perhaps most importantly, the unknown results of interference with the process of natural selection. Until more of these consequences are studied in depth, de-extinction should not be