Imagine if we could bring back the woolly mammoth, a massive creature that disappeared about 4,000 years ago. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right? But scientists are actually working on this, and they believe these shaggy giants could help solve a big problem on our planet.
Let’s travel back in time to about 20,000 years ago. Back then, woolly mammoths roamed the vast grasslands of Northern Siberia. This area, known as the Mammoth Steppe, was a cold, dry grassland similar to the African Savanna but much chillier. It was home to large herbivores like bison, oxen, reindeer, and, of course, the woolly mammoth.
Mammoths were like nature’s engineers. They knocked down trees and shrubs, allowing lighter-colored grasses to grow. These grasses reflected more sunlight than the darker trees, helping to keep the ground cooler. In winter, mammoths trampled the snow, letting the cold air reach the ground. This helped protect a layer of carbon-rich soil called permafrost. But when the Ice Age ended, most mammoths vanished, and the grasslands changed.
Today, the Arctic is getting warmer and wetter, which is a big problem for our climate. Rising global temperatures are causing the permafrost to melt. Scientists have found that the Arctic permafrost is losing about 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon each winter. If it keeps melting, this carbon-rich soil will release huge amounts of greenhouse gases, similar to burning all the forests on Earth three times over.
Scientists think that by bringing back woolly mammoths, they can restore the grasslands and protect the permafrost. But first, they need to create a woolly mammoth, and that’s where things get interesting.
A company called Colossal is leading the effort to bring back the mammoth. George Church, a key figure in the Human Genome Project, is part of the team. They plan to use ancient DNA from mammoths to tackle the climate crisis.
However, DNA doesn’t last forever. It gets damaged by water, radiation, and air, so even the best samples are incomplete. To solve this, scientists are looking at the Asian elephant, the mammoth’s closest living relative. Despite having 1.4 million DNA differences, they share 99.6% of their genetic makeup. The team has identified over 50 traits that helped mammoths survive the cold, like smaller ears, shorter tails, thick fat layers, and their iconic fur.
Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, scientists are modifying the Asian elephant’s DNA to include these mammoth traits. The next step is to transfer this hybrid DNA into an elephant egg cell, a process that has never been done before. Electrical pulses will mimic fertilization, causing the egg to divide and form an embryo.
The plan is for the embryo to grow in an artificial womb. This technique was tested on lambs in 2017, but creating a womb large enough for a 2,000-pound fetus over 22 months is a new challenge. If successful, the result will be a mammoth-elephant hybrid, sometimes called a “mammophant” or “elemoth.”
Even if Colossal succeeds, it will take time for these hybrids to make a difference. The first calf might be born in five years, but it won’t be old enough to reproduce for at least 14 years. Meanwhile, the technology could lead to other breakthroughs, like improving artificial wombs for premature babies, helping Asian elephants resist disease, and modifying animal organs for human transplants.
While this project is exciting, it raises many technical and ethical questions. Should we bring back extinct species? As we consider these questions, this ambitious project might inspire other innovative solutions to the climate crisis. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see woolly mammoths walking the Earth again.
If you’re curious about artificial wombs, check out this video on how scientists grew a lamb in an artificial environment. Can we really “undo” extinction? Should we? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe, and thanks for watching Seeker!
Choose an extinct species other than the woolly mammoth and research its habitat, reasons for extinction, and any current efforts to bring it back. Create a short presentation to share your findings with the class. This will help you understand the broader implications of de-extinction efforts.
Participate in a class debate on the ethical and environmental implications of bringing back extinct species like the woolly mammoth. Prepare arguments for both sides and engage in a respectful discussion. This will enhance your critical thinking and public speaking skills.
Engage in a hands-on workshop where you simulate the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing process using a simple model. Learn how scientists edit genes and discuss the potential benefits and risks of this technology. This activity will give you a practical understanding of genetic engineering.
Work in groups to design a campaign that raises awareness about climate change and the role of permafrost in carbon storage. Include the potential impact of reintroducing woolly mammoths. Present your campaign through posters, videos, or social media posts to the class.
Write a reflective essay on the ethical considerations of de-extinction. Consider questions like: What are the potential consequences? Who decides which species to bring back? Share your essay with the class and discuss different viewpoints. This will help you develop your writing and analytical skills.
What if I told you there’s a plan to bring back woolly mammoths to Siberia? Wild, right? And if resurrecting a 6-ton creature that’s been extinct for about 4,000 years isn’t crazy enough, wait till you hear this—they’re hoping to enlist these shaggy creatures to help us solve a significant problem.
But before we get to that, let’s rewind about 20,000 years ago. It was a time when giant woolly mammoths roamed the grasslands of Northern Siberia. During this period, much of the water on the planet was ice, making the northern hemisphere a dry grassland ecosystem similar to a cold-weather version of the African Savanna. This area is known as the Mammoth Steppe, and the abundant grassland was perfect for large grazing herbivores like bison, oxen, reindeer, and, of course, the woolly mammoth.
Mammoths were great ecosystem engineers. They knocked down trees and shrubs, making room for lighter-colored grasses that reflected more sunlight than the darker trees, helping to keep ground temperatures cooler. In winter, they trampled through the snow, exposing the ground to the arctic chill. By maintaining their grassland habitat, they also protected a layer of carbon-rich soil underneath, known as permafrost. However, by the end of the last Ice Age, most of the mammoths vanished, and the grasses of the steppe did too.
We don’t know whether to attribute this to humans, climate change, or some other cause, but we do know that the ecosystem changed significantly. Fast forward to today, and the Arctic is warmer and wetter, posing a serious problem for our climate. The human-induced rise in global temperatures is causing the permafrost to melt. Over nearly twenty years, scientists observed the Arctic permafrost lose approximately 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon each winter. If it continues to thaw, that carbon-rich soil will decompose, releasing enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, equivalent to burning all the forests on the planet three times.
By reintroducing thousands of woolly mammoths back to Siberia, scientists hope to restore the grasslands that once protected the permafrost. But to do that, they need to start with one woolly mammoth, and currently, there are none available, so someone has to create one! A new company called Colossal is taking on this challenge. Leading the team is George Church, a key member of the Human Genome Project, who pioneered the genomic sequencing techniques we use today. The team aims to use ancient DNA recovered from unearthed mammoths to combat the climate crisis.
The challenge is that DNA degrades over time, getting damaged by water, radiation, and exposure to air. Even the best samples are missing data, so the DNA can’t be used to create an exact clone. Therefore, the team turned to the Asian elephant, the mammoth’s closest living relative. Despite a difference of 1.4 million DNA letters between the two species, they still share 99.6% of their genetic makeup. The group selected more than 50 traits that helped mammoths tolerate the cold, such as smaller ears and shorter tails to reduce heat loss and frostbite, a thick layer of fat to stay warm, and their signature fur coat.
Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, they’re modifying specific sections of the Asian elephant DNA, replacing them with mammoth traits. Next, they’ll need to transfer an elephant nucleus with the hybrid DNA into an elephant egg cell, which has never been done before. Electrical pulses will simulate fertilization, causing the egg to divide and create an embryo.
Here’s where things get even more interesting: the plan is for the embryo to develop in an artificial womb. This technique was tested back in 2017 on premature lambs, but creating an artificial uterus large enough to house a 2,000-pound fetus for its entire 22-month development has yet to be attempted. If successful, the result will be a mammoth-elephant hybrid that some are calling a “mammophant” or “elemoth.”
If Colossal’s hybrids are going to protect the permafrost, they’ll need to get started quickly. However, with a timeline of 5 years for the birth of the first calf and at least 14 years until the animal is old enough to reproduce, these hybrid elephants might not be helping us solve our climate crisis anytime soon. In the meantime, the technology can still be used for significant research advancements, such as improving artificial wombs to help premature infants, aiding the endangered Asian elephant in becoming more resilient to disease, and making genetic modifications to animal organs for better suitability in human transplants.
While this all sounds fascinating, there are many technical hurdles and ethical questions that remain unanswered, such as whether we should even bring back an extinct species. As we grapple with these questions, this visionary program could inspire equally ambitious projects that we’ll need to tackle the climate crisis in the years to come. Who knows, one day we may see our woolly friends walk the earth again.
If my mention of artificial wombs piqued your curiosity, check out this video on why scientists grew a lamb in an artificial environment! Can we just hit “undo” on the extinction of animals like the woolly mammoth? Should we even be doing that? Let us know in the comments below. Make sure to subscribe, and thanks for watching Seeker!
Woolly – Covered with thick, soft hair or fur, often used to describe animals adapted to cold environments. – The woolly mammoth had a thick coat to help it survive in the icy tundra.
Mammoth – A large, extinct elephant-like mammal with long tusks and a hairy coat, adapted to cold environments. – Scientists study mammoth fossils to understand how these creatures lived during the Ice Age.
Permafrost – A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions. – The melting of permafrost due to rising temperatures releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Climate – The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a particular area, including temperature, precipitation, and wind. – Changes in climate can have significant impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Carbon – A chemical element that is essential to all living organisms and is a major component of fossil fuels. – Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, helping to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere.
DNA – The molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms and is responsible for inheritance. – Scientists can extract DNA from ancient bones to learn more about extinct species like the mammoth.
Elephant – A large mammal with a trunk, known for its intelligence and social behavior, found in Africa and Asia. – Elephants play a crucial role in their ecosystems by helping to maintain the grasslands and forests.
Grasslands – Large open areas of country covered with grass, especially those used for grazing. – Grasslands are home to a variety of species and are important for maintaining ecological balance.
Greenhouse – A structure with walls and a roof made chiefly of transparent material, used for growing plants in regulated climatic conditions. – The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface, but excessive greenhouse gases can lead to global warming.
Species – A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. – Conservation efforts are crucial to protect endangered species from extinction.
