Resurrection Ecology Gives Life to Old Eggs

Ant writes "ABC News reports that scientists are bringing the past to life by hatching eggs once thought to be dead and producing colonies of animals as they existed decades ago. They are calling it 'resurrection ecology,' and it's a whole new field that quite literally allows scientists to observe evolution as it occurred, using animals that were quite different than their kinfolk today."

Comments

Ya know -- Some species die out for a reason

[l0ungeb0y]

This new-fangled 'resurrection ecology' has "bio-hazard" written all over it.

While in our Politically Correct Era the focus is on how mankind has exploited the eco-system - let's not be too quick to jump on the band wagon of thinking this is a wonderfull way to bring back the Do-do and other species that came to an abrubt end in modern history.

Exploitation of wildlife resources is only one of many reasons.
Another reason is because ecology changes and those species not well suited to adapt to the new environment naturally die out. And one major change to environment is DISEASE. Entire species can succumb to a communicable virus in rapid succession and those whose immune systems can not adapt or physically migrate to another suitable habitat will die and continue to die untill the disease either mutates or all the suitable hosts are dead.

You see -- it's called NATURAL SELECTION for a reason.
And while I'm not entirely against this use of technology, I'm highly wary of it's uncontrolled use.

By what standards are we to determine which species to attempt to cultivate and let loose into the wild or one ofour many splended zoos/aquariums? And how can we accurately model and predict the ecological impact these actions would have? Is it possible that the introduction of these since extinct animals immune systems back into a modern ecology cause viruses to mutate into potentially deadly forms for us and other modern animals? Or would we see entire colonies of animals brought back only to die off in short order as they once again prove themselves unable to cope?

Personally, I think this technique should be left in the realm of advanced research for decades to come untill a time comes where we are capable of knowing whether or not a reintroduction of specie posses a threat to modern organisms or to the potential resurrectee.