Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm shared his expertise on how the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park would impact the Earth’s ecosystem. The biotechnology company and My Octopus Teacher filmmaker James Reed are working on a documentary on de-extinction technology to bring back extinct animals. The concept of this technology is at the core of the Steven Spielberg movie Jurassic Park, in which John Hammond brought back dinosaurs to the modern world with their DNA and genetic engineering.
Screen Rant’s Simon Gallagher spoke with Lamm in an exclusive interview about animal extinction. According to Lamm, half of the world’s species are expected to go extinct by 2050, which will make the planet less habitable. If scientists do not save these species on time, he argued that “we need to have a plan to bring back those animals.”
Lamb further stressed the importance of de-extinction technology and its ability to generate positive results in Yellowstone National Park. He explained that “it’s better to have de-extinction technology” than “need it and not have it.“ In collaborating with Reed on an untitled documentary film, the CEO hopes to inspire a generation of biologists. Read his full explanation below:
By 2050, it is projected that half of all the world’s species could go extinct. This would increase the likelihood of pandemics, decrease the species that help naturally filter water, and destroy 35% of our food crops, just to name a few things. This means that we need to have a plan to bring back those animals if we cannot save them in time. It is better to have de-extinction technology, meaning the science and applications to revive animal species, and not need it, than need it and not have it.
What we do know is that ecosystems are fragile and even the loss or return of one animal species can dramatically improve its health. When a keystone species like a woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, or even a wolf like here in America is removed from its ecosystem, the ecosystem starts to degrade. We now have the power to fix these wrongs and re-introduce lost species back to their ecosystems. One recent example of this is Yellowstone National Park. When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone after 70 years of being absent due to hunters, biodiversity massively increased, flora and fauna flourished, and animal species reached healthier levels of stability. We continue to see these sorts of results in reintroduced species around the world in various peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The pursuit of de-extinction is having a global impact. We have kids and parents send us notes all the time about how our work is inspiring kids and encouraging them into careers in biology. If we can inspire a generation of future biologists who want to save our planet, that is a huge bonus on top of our time and effort. It’s why we are also doubling down on our work with Hollywood storytellers, filmmakers and celebrities. We currently have a documentary film in the works with the director of My Octopus Teacher, James Reed, that we hope will really show our incredible de-extinction science to the next generation who will be most impacted if we don’t act now.
What De-Extinction Technology Means for the Ecosystem?
It’s A Controversial Topic.
Jurassic Park offers a glimpse into the horror of how bad things could get if technology is abused. Nearly every dark science fiction centers around the idea of advanced technology being used as a weapon or evil ways. While the films serve as a cautionary tale, the reality is that experts simply don’t really have a firm answer on whether de-extinction technology harms or benefits the environment.
De-extinction technology faces ethical challenges. While some scientists claim that bringing back a mammal is unlikely to affect climate change, placing a new version of an extinct species into the ecosystem would have unforeseeable consequences. It’s a risky experiment, given that the ecosystem might have changed drastically since a species went extinct. The longer the species has been gone from the world, the less likely they’ll fit into the current climate. After all, some species go extinct due to the fact that the environment is no longer suitable for their survival.
Our Take On Bringing Back Extinct Species
Hopefully, It Won’t Be Jurassic Park.
Currently, scientists are in the process of reviving emblematic species such as the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger). De-extinction is a risky experiment and should be done with great caution. The positive results in Yellowstone National Park prove that there are merits to this technology. On the other hand, there is simply too little we know about it, and what’s also chilling to know is how accurate Jurassic Park has been on the subject.
While it might be tempting to think that dinosaurs could walk on earth again, it might be wise to let them stay extinct. After all, it’s been 65 million years since they were last here, and the world is different now. De-extinction technology isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but should it be abused, the consequences can be catastrophic. Perhaps, it may be best to keep it science fiction, especially with Jurassic World: Rebirth on the way.
