Bringing Extinct Species Back to Life | Dr. Beth Shapiro
Dr. Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences, discusses de-extinction efforts for species like woolly mammoths and dodo birds. She explains how ancient DNA and synthetic biology tools are used for both de-extinction and broader wildlife conservation, including the ethical implications and future potential of these technologies.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
Defining a Species and Taxonomy
Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Human Interbreeding
Neanderthal Genes and Human Traits
De-Extinction: Species Selection and Technical Challenges
Ecological Role of De-Extinct Species: Woolly Mammoths
Bird De-Extinction and Reproductive Challenges
Dire Wolf De-Extinction and Intentional Genetic Edits
De-Extinction, Conservation, and Ecosystem Resilience
Synthetic Biology for Preventing Extinction: Northern Quoll
Modeling Ecological Impact and Gene Drives
Advisory Panels and Public Education in Synthetic Biology
Genetic Selection in Humans and Ethical Considerations
Black-Footed Ferrets and Genetic Rescue
Artificial Wombs and Future Medical Applications
Science Pioneers and Colossal's Public Education
Dr. Beth Shapiro's Science Origin Story
6 Key Concepts
Species Concept
A human-defined framework for classifying organisms, not an inherent biological truth. Different concepts exist, such as biological (ability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring), genetic (sequence similarity), and geographic (location-based classification), each serving different purposes like conservation or scientific study.
Admixture Event
The mixing of genetic material between two previously distinct populations or species, such as the interbreeding between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals as they dispersed out of Africa into Europe.
Gene Drive
A genetic engineering technology that biases inheritance, causing a particular genetic trait to spread rapidly through a population over generations. It's considered for controlling pest populations or restoring ecosystems, with careful consideration of safety measures.
Genetic Rescue
The process of introducing new genetic diversity into a small, inbred population to improve its health and viability. This can involve techniques like cloning from older, unrelated tissue samples or translocating individuals from other populations.
Epigenetic Reprogramming
The process by which the proteins within an egg cell can reset the genetic programming of a somatic (body) cell, allowing it to de-differentiate and begin dividing to form an embryo, as seen in cloning without Yamanaka factors.
Digital Twin Ecosystems
A conceptual framework involving the creation of highly detailed computational models of ecosystems. These digital twins can be perturbed in various ways to predict the outcomes of interventions like species reintroduction or genetic modification, aiding in risk assessment and planning.
8 Questions Answered
A species is a human concept, not a biological absolute. Definitions vary, including the biological species concept (ability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring), genetic species concept (threshold of sequence similarity), and geographic species concept (living in a specific location).
Yes, anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals interbred after humans migrated out of Africa. Most people today have between 2% and 5% of their DNA derived from Neanderthals, indicating successful hybridization.
Dinosaurs cannot be de-extincted because their DNA is too old and degraded. The oldest recoverable DNA is around 1-2 million years old, while dinosaurs went extinct over 66 million years ago, meaning no viable DNA fragments remain.
Species selection considers technical feasibility (availability of DNA), ethical implications, ecological role (whether a niche is available and if reintroduction would stabilize an ecosystem), and social impact (generating public excitement and investment in conservation technology).
De-extinction aims to restore key ecological interactions to make ecosystems more robust. For woolly mammoths, their reintroduction could help restore Arctic grasslands by their grazing and snow-clearing behaviors, which prevent permafrost melt and promote plant diversity.
Synthetic biology can modify the genomes of living species to help them survive. An example is engineering northern quolls to be resistant to the toxic cane toad, allowing them to thrive in an altered habitat.
While humans naturally select mates based on traits, direct genetic selection through technology (like embryo screening) raises ethical concerns about eugenics, accessibility, and the potential impact on future generations' freedom of choice and societal roles.
Black-footed ferrets are being saved through a combination of captive breeding, cloning from decades-old tissue samples to reintroduce lost genetic diversity, and potential future genetic engineering to make them resistant to plague, their primary killer in the wild.
7 Actionable Insights
1. Understand Species Concepts
Recognize that ‘species’ is a human concept, and different definitions (biological, genetic, geographic) serve different purposes. This helps in understanding discussions around de-extinction and genetic modification.
2. Consider Genetic Selection in Mating
Be aware that humans engage in genetic selection through mate choice, influencing traits like height over generations. This highlights a natural form of genetic influence that predates modern technology.
3. Assess Ecosystem Resilience
Evaluate ecosystems in terms of their robustness and resilience, understanding that biodiversity and redundancy in ecological roles (like top predators) can help weather environmental stressors.
4. Engage in Synthetic Biology Discussions
Participate in conversations about synthetic biology and de-extinction, as these technologies are developing rapidly and will impact future ecosystems and human medicine. Public education and dialogue are crucial for responsible progress.
5. Recognize the Cost of Inaction
Understand that choosing to do nothing in the face of ecological challenges is also a decision with consequences, often leading to a less biodiverse future. Proactive intervention with new technologies can be a valid ethical choice.
6. Prioritize Animal Welfare in Genetic Engineering
When engineering traits in animals, prioritize animal welfare and safety. For example, choose genetic edits known to be safe in living relatives to avoid unintended negative health consequences for the engineered animal.
7. Involve Local Advisory Panels
For de-extinction or species translocation projects, establish advisory panels with local stakeholders, politicians, scientists, and conservationists. This ensures decisions are made collaboratively and consider diverse impacts.
6 Key Quotes
Biology doesn't care what species you are. Species is a human concept. We have this incredible proclivity to want to put things into boxes so that we can talk about them.
Dr. Beth Shapiro
If we were to go around the world today and pick out all of the pieces of Neanderthal DNA that exist in humans today, we would put together more than 90 percent, possibly more than 95 percent of the Neanderthal genome just from people who are alive today.
Dr. Beth Shapiro
If you have brown bear ancestry, you don't have perfectly white fur, and you cannot successfully hunt seals. So it is just adaptation that means that that admixture doesn't work.
Dr. Beth Shapiro
Doing nothing is not not deciding. Doing nothing is saying we accept the fact that we are going to have a future that is less biodiverse than the present.
Dr. Beth Shapiro
The most morally reprehensible thing that we could imagine doing becomes the actual only ethical solution.
Dr. Beth Shapiro
The world today is a human world. And the species that live today and thrive today are those that have figured out how best to do that in the niches that we have created for it. And we need to just deal with that. Get better at it. Use the tools at our disposal.
Dr. Beth Shapiro