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Can the modern Arctic environment really support herds of new mammoths? I know they used to roam the tundra 5,000 years ago, but they've been absent since. Wo

Can the modern Arctic environment really support herds of new mammoths? I know they used to roam the tundra 5,000 years ago, but they've been absent since. Wouldn't their reappearance displace the creatures that have taken their place in the ecosystem? Perhaps moose and arctic ox would suffer a decline? It seems really reckless to me to resurrect long dead creatures and to call that "healing the earth". I don't think these people have the systems in place to model the ecosystem accurately enough to know whether introducing a new hybrid into the environment would be beneficial for any creature on Earth (except themselves of course ... I'm sure they'll have a great Instagram post about it).

qayxc 5y ago
The most reckless part is resurrecting highly intelligent social creatures. The problem becomes apparent if we look at African elephants - if the matriarch is killed before passing on her knowledge, the herd often dies or disbands. Now imagine just popping a small group of mammoths into existence who never roamed the Arctic tundra and expect them to just "know" how to mammoth. It takes many generations to achieve that and given that they can live about as long as humans, I doubt the researchers are really able to help with that.
- ianbicking 5y ago
  Definitely brings up images of aliens cloning humans after we've gone extinct, then placing us in groups with food and hoping they recreate human civilization. I think the result would be more sad and pathetic than Lord Of The Flies. That said, presumably they'd rear the baby mammoths with elephants and at least develop social skills, even if they can't develop environmental skills; and then support the animals as they become used to arctic conditions. But would that just the be the equivalent of raising Neanderthals and then transporting them to the wilderness for their Exciting New Life In The Wild?
  - anonymousDan 5y ago
    Ya reminds of the (awesome but at the same time horrific) post apocalyptic film Threads: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/?fc=2&ft=29&fm=1 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/?fc=2&ft=29&fm=1

qayxc 5y ago

The most reckless part is resurrecting highly intelligent social creatures. The problem becomes apparent if we look at African elephants - if the matriarch is killed before passing on her knowledge, the herd often dies or disbands. Now imagine just popping a small group of mammoths into existence who never roamed the Arctic tundra and expect them to just "know" how to mammoth. It takes many generations to achieve that and given that they can live about as long as humans, I doubt the researchers are really able to help with that.

ianbicking 5y ago
Definitely brings up images of aliens cloning humans after we've gone extinct, then placing us in groups with food and hoping they recreate human civilization. I think the result would be more sad and pathetic than Lord Of The Flies. That said, presumably they'd rear the baby mammoths with elephants and at least develop social skills, even if they can't develop environmental skills; and then support the animals as they become used to arctic conditions. But would that just the be the equivalent of raising Neanderthals and then transporting them to the wilderness for their Exciting New Life In The Wild?
- anonymousDan 5y ago
  Ya reminds of the (awesome but at the same time horrific) post apocalyptic film Threads: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/?fc=2&ft=29&fm=1 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/?fc=2&ft=29&fm=1