Can Dinosaurs be Resurrected?

Can we resurrect dinosaurs?

Whether in movies or in reality, the core of resurrecting dinosaurs undoubtedly lies in biology, more specifically genetics and cloning technology. The true scientific origins of genetics can be traced back to Mendel’s studies on pea plants in the 19th century, while cloning technology, aimed at reproducing the genome of an organism, can be traced back to the experiments of German scientist Hans Driesch in 1885.

However, the real breakthrough in cloning technology came after the discovery of DNA. Swiss researcher Friedrich Miescher discovered nucleic acids in 1869, and later, James Watson and Francis Crick’s research on the structure of DNA laid the foundation for cloning technology.

The successful implementation of cloning technology

In 1996, scientists in Scotland created the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, cloned from an adult cell. This groundbreaking experiment utilized somatic cell nuclear transfer technology, transferring the nucleus of an adult cell into an enucleated egg cell, ultimately producing a perfect genetic replica.

However, Dolly’s lifespan was not long, which is also a common problem in later cloned animals. Therefore, it is very difficult to resurrect dinosaurs using current cloning technology, and most importantly, we currently do not have dinosaur DNA. While movies may depict scenarios of extracting DNA from amber, the likelihood of finding intact dinosaur DNA in reality is extremely low.

Nevertheless, despite this, scientists have begun attempting to resurrect some extinct species. For example, in 2003, scientists briefly resurrected the Pyrenean ibex using cryogenically preserved skin cells. Harvard University professor George Church and his company, Colossal Biosciences, plan to resurrect mammoths and dodos using gene editing technology.

Although resurrecting extinct species is technically challenging, it is not impossible because advances in genetic engineering have shown that all life on Earth is generated from a design blueprint similar to source code. As long as we find the genetic source code of these ancient creatures, we have hope of resurrecting them.

How to obtain complete dinosaur DNA information

Some astronomers even believe that we may find intact dinosaur DNA on the moon in the future. When the asteroid struck the Earth 65 million years ago, the resulting impact craters and ejected material must have contained organic matter from the impact site, possibly even containing dinosaur remains. After these materials were ejected into space and approached temperatures close to absolute zero, they essentially entered a natural refrigeration chamber.

If some of these materials were ejected far enough, they could have been captured by the moon’s gravity. Therefore, in the future, when astronauts return to the moon and conduct large-scale exploration, it is possible to discover materials from Earth.

Similar situations have actually occurred on Earth

Geologists have previously discovered several meteorites from Mars on the Antarctic continent, which contain traces resembling the existence of basic life. Considering that Mars is closest to Earth at a distance of 55 million kilometers, if meteorites from Mars can reach Earth, there is no reason why meteorites from Earth cannot reach the moon, which is only 380,000 kilometers away.

Therefore, as long as future technology is sufficiently advanced, whether it is resurrecting dinosaurs or other ancient species, it is possible. We may even genetically edit them to create new species.

Overall

If there continues to be a lack of original DNA material, the true resurrection of dinosaurs may only be a distant dream. By then, scientists may attempt to reconstruct dinosaur-like organisms using the DNA of existing species, but this would be a hybrid rather than a true dinosaur.

Although it is currently impossible to recreate dinosaurs through DNA, as a manufacturer of animatronic dinosaur models, we can use technology to reshape the appearance of dinosaurs. If you are interested, you can click on the animatronic dinosaur product catalog for more information.