The cycle of extinction of species on earth has been going on for thousands of years. Our earth has faced nearly 5 mass extinctions and hundreds and thousands of minor extinctions of species. We don’t know the future of humans or other animals but we know the past of extinct animals. Below we have discussed some of the extinct animals that Scientists are preparing to bring back to life.
List of top 10 extinct animals:
10. The Woolly Mammoth
The Woolly Mammoth were a species of elephants that lived during the Pleistocene and became extinct during the Holocene Epoch nearly 10,500 years ago. Not all Mammoth species were Extinct during this period. Some were trapped in islands and died later on due to rise in sea level nearly 4000 years ago. Asian Elephant is the closest relative to the mammoths. Some mammoths were trapped in Ice and their fossils remained undestroyed and scientists are trying to bring The Woolly Mammoth back to life with the help of DNA from these fossils and hopefully we will see the Woolly Mammoths alive soon.
9. Saber Toothed Tiger
Lions are known as the “King of the Jungle” but nearly 10,000 years ago Saber Toothed Tiger was the king. They were large animals with an approximate weight of 160-280 KG. One of the main reasons for the extinction of Saber Toothed Tiger was climate change. As the ice age was at its end many animals and species started dying. And due to shortage of food and intense climate Saber Toothed Tiger went extinct. If we compare them with today’s tigers and lions then there is only “one in a million chance” that they can defeat Saber Toothed Tiger. Many researchers say it is not safe to reborn these types of animals because they can be a threat for today’s animals and even humans.
8. The Moa
Moa was a group of nine species of flightless birds of New Zealand. The Moa’s went extinct nearly 500 years ago. Some species of Moa were as long as 3.6 m long and some species were as long as a Turkey. The Moa looks very similar to the Ostrich but differs in size. The average weight of a Moa is around 250 kg and it is much heavier than an Ostrich. Some reports say that larger Moa species may have went extinct by the end of the 17th century and small species might have become extinct in the 19th century. The closest animal to Moa is tinamous and we might see Moa soon in New Zealand and they are really sweet and calm animals.
7. The Ground Sloth
Don’t think that they are similar to today’s Tree Sloths. They’re similar but not totally because the extinct Ground Sloth has a giant size like a bear. The Ground Sloth was extinct around 12,000 years ago. And due to this it is difficult to find DNA of ground sloths. But some sloth fossils were found digged in Ice and scientists have got some DNA and the good point is that cells are active after experiments. Today’s sloth shares many similarities and hence their DNA and ground sloths DNA can be used to reborn the Ground Sloth. I am really excited to see a Bear Size Ground Sloth.
6. The Dodo
Dodo was a flightless bird. The last Dodo bird was killed in 1681, and the species was declared extinct. The Indian Ocean was a home to hundreds of flightless bird species and Dodo was one of the most famous. The main reason for the extinction of these bird species was the arrival of humans on Indian Ocean Islands. Humans killed all Dodo’s without knowing the fact that they can never be brought back and extinct one day. But scientists says that Dodo can be brought back; Just after collecting some more DNA of Dodo and implant them in their closest relatives, pigeons. Dodo was 3 feet tall and weighed around 39 pounds.
5. Woolly Rhinoceros
Besides the Woolly Mammoth there is one more extinct fluffy creature the ‘Woolly Rhinoceros‘. These rhinoceros live in the Arctic Sea and became extinct just 10,000 years ago pretty recently in technical terms. The Woolly Rhinoceros is quite famous in history and appears in the cave paintings of “The French Chaucer Pont- D’ARC Cave”. Some scientists say that Woolly Rhinoceros have a great chance to be reborn just like mammoths. Because some Woolly Rhinoceros were trapped in Ince and their DNA is safe and we can bring them back.
4. The Irish Elk
The Irish Elk, also known as the “Giant Deer”. It was one of the animals that didn’t manage to survive after the Ice Age. The Irish Elk extinct just 12,000 years ago but researchers have found fossils of this animal in Siberia that are only 7000-8000 years ago and The Irish Elk can be brought back with help of its DNA and these creatures were 7 feet tall at the shoulder and the antlers could extend upto 12 feet tall. The Irish Elk lived in the north and it’s preserved remains have already been found in the melting permafrost. This creature would be a great animal to see if brought back to life.
3. The Baiji River Dolphin
This poor creature just went extinct in 2006 and became the first animal to go extinct due to the negative effects of human activities. Since the species went extinct just a few years ago, there are great DNA samples and a good chance of success to bring the creature back to life. There will still be a question of whether there will be a home for these dolphins to live? Because their home The Yangtze River is extremely polluted due to negative impact of human activities. We all hope to see the dolphins back to life and try to make the Yangtze River fresh and clean for their living.
2. The Siberian Unicorn
Don’t compare this to the unicorn mentioned in our comics, movies and our fairy tales because this creature just has a horn coming out of its skull. Sorry to disappoint but it is technically a unicorn, which means technically, quite funny. Scientists believed that this creature went extinct 39,000 years ago. But researchers have found remains of this creature in Siberia that are just 29,000 years ago and there is still a hope to bring the creature back to life.
1. The Neanderthal
Last and the most controversial, The Neanderthal. One of the most logical reasons to bring Neanderthals back to life is because they are considered the subspecies of modern humans; And bringing them back to life will help us in understanding how life began. It is the easiest task to bring them back to life as mentioned above because scientists already have the map of their DNA and we are pretty sure to taste a guaranteed success.