Dinosaurs coming back is not likely, but it is possible. The article from the Natural History Museum explains how the amber tree resin could trap a mosquito, but the blood they consumed would not be preserved. “ This is a pair of biting midges from the Upper Eocene, between 37-33 million years ago. It is unlikely that any blood they may have consumed would have survived the preservation process.” Emily Osterloff. Dinosaur blood would not survive the ages. Even though we have the bones, we would not have the DNA. “When under specific circumstances blood does preserve, it doesn’t mean that scientists will find DNA in it. So even if a dinosaur’s blood was found inside an ancient insect, an opportunity to recreate the reptile from it isn’t guaranteed.” (N.D) This means that even though blood may be found, it does not always mean it will be usable or contain DNA that will further the research. The article also states that it would be hard to fill the gaps in the DNA. It states that they may be able to take it from other reptiles, such as frogs or alligators, because they are close relatives, but this does not mean it will fill all the gaps. If this does not work, they presented another alternative: taking a current animal and trying to work its life back in a sense, making it progress back to the Mesozoic period. It is also an ethical issue. What would we do with them if they came back? Would they be able to roam safely around the world? “ So for now, dinosaurs will probably remain safely in the past. But using genetic engineering to bring back extinct animals might be reasonable in some circumstances.” They believe these animals should stay in the past for now, but research is still ongoing.
I think this is a very interesting topic, Ana! I like how you included quotes that explain the situations. I understand that the we do not have the DNA, and we only have bones from the dinosaurs, but I wonder why the blood can’t be preserved. This article has a lot of information that explains why it’s difficult to clone animals! https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/how-close-are-we-to-cloned-dinosaurs-the-science-behind-jurassic-park#:~:text=Scientists%20estimate%20that%20the%20final,for%20retrieving%20viable%20dinosaur%20DNA.
This is a very intriguing article Ana. I too wonder about the possibility of bringing back extinct animals and not just dinosaurs. Similar to the movie Jurassic Park this argue begs the question of safety and how we ought to contain these creatures if we bring them back. I wonder if they would even be able to survive because the atmospheric conditions of the Jurassic and Triassic period both allowed dinosaurs to grow to large because of the high oxygen percentage in the atmosphere.