> Even with perfect DNA, I think we underestimate the role that social structure and ecological momentum play in even the simplest of creatures. I don't think

> Even with perfect DNA, I think we underestimate the role that social structure and ecological momentum play in even the simplest of creatures. I don't think that's true. We raise animals without their parents all the time, both on farms and in zoos. The animals we end up with are still recognizably horses or rats or chimpanzees, with unique behavioural traits that could be studied for years. Even if you lose the social structure of mammoth society, you would still be bringing back something fascinating. Animals that can be hatched from eggs have even less dependency on their mothers, too.