CRISPR Gene Editing and future Extinct Animal DLCs

[oca2074]

This is going to be controversial.

The Thylacine/Tasmanian tiger is being planned to be brought back from the dead. Multiple relatively recently extinct animals could follow. Endangered animals (Black footed ferret) are already being cloned to enhance genetic diversity and give their species a better chance for survival.

How extinct animals could be brought back from the dead

From an Australian frog that swallowed its own eggs to woolly mammoths, scientists could soon bring back long-lost species from the dead.

www.bbc.com

On a sort of unrelated note, apparently white tigers derive their skin pigment via a single gene alteration as discovered in 2013.

White tiger's coat down to one change in a gene

Chinese scientists trace the rare white colouration in Bengal tigers to a single change in a gene that affects a host of animals, including humans.

www.bbc.com

If that's the case, why can't we use CRISPR to create white Bengal tigers and spare all the existing white tigers further inbreeding? I don't understand why no one is working on this. It may be unethical, but it does a lot of good by removing future tiger suffering due to inbreeding and improves their genetic diversity by (finally) letting the white tigers breed with others they aren't closely related to. Basically, zoos can acquire white tigers without resorting to inbreeding which many still do. Nor does it harm the tigers (who we've made white) as they are (theoretically) perfectly healthy and can still reproduce as normal.

In the context of Planet Zoo, perhaps a future gene editing CRISPR DLC can introduce recently extinct animals and allow us to create white Bengal tigers artificially.

 

[Captain Callum]

I've heard since the turn of the century that scientists plan to bring back (example animal). Dinosaurs and especially the wooly mammoth have always been a popular one for academic discussion. It's interesting though on the gradual progress of cloning existing species to preserve genetics. The context of cloning and general extinct species is definitely a controversial one, it could add some unique gameplay to breeding rare animals although I do feel like a dlc of such treads on Jwe's territory

 

[oca2074]

I've heard since the turn of the century that scientists plan to bring back (example animal). Dinosaurs and especially the wooly mammoth have always been a popular one for academic discussion. It's interesting though on the gradual progress of cloning existing species to preserve genetics. The context of cloning and general extinct species is definitely a controversial one, it could add some unique gameplay to breeding rare animals although I do feel like a dlc of such treads on Jwe's territory

Well, if we're going to keep it scientific... there is ZERO prospect of cloning for dinosaurs and Frontier already has JWE. However, recent extinct animals (of which there is a ton of DNA samples remaining and close relative species alive) are scientifically plausible now. Dinosaurs on the other hand, we know way too little about their DNA.

And the white tiger gene editing thing I discussed above, is theoretically achievable right now. It just requires a minor tweak of ONE gene. I'm not sure why nobody has done it yet as it would seriously improve white tiger welfare and allow their genetic pool to become diverse again.

 

[NZFanatic]

And the white tiger gene editing thing I discussed above, is theoretically achievable right now. It just requires a minor tweak of ONE gene. I'm not sure why nobody has done it yet as it would seriously improve white tiger welfare and allow their genetic pool to become diverse again.

Well, there's exactly no conservation value in doing this. White tigers are a genetic mutation, not something worth preserving.

As for cloning recently extinct animals, this has been talked about for decades, and every decade we're "closer than ever". Until it actually happens it's still science-fiction.

Last I heard, they can't actually clone a woolly mammoth. They're planning on creating some kind of hybrid between a mammoth and an Asian elephant. IMO it's mad scientist territory. Until gene-editing itself takes off, there's not really much point in creating clones because genetic diversity is the primary issue of conservation.

 

[oca2074]

Well, there's exactly no conservation value in doing this. White tigers are a genetic mutation, not something worth preserving.

Yes, there is no conservation value it's merely to improve the welfare of white tigers' future offspring by removing the inbreeding equation. Which is important. White tigers aren't going away and plenty of zoos are still breeding them incestuously. To an extent, the overall genetic diversity of the Bengal Tiger population will improve if the white tiger inbreds are allowed to breed with the rest again.

As for cloning recently extinct animals, this has been talked about for decades, and every decade we're "closer than ever". Until it actually happens it's still science-fiction.

We have CRISPR, don't forget that changes everything. A lot of research and DNA reconstruction has been done in recent years precisely because CRISPR made it economically feasible.

Last I heard, they can't actually clone a woolly mammoth. They're planning on creating some kind of hybrid between a mammoth and an Asian elephant. IMO it's mad scientist territory. Until gene-editing itself takes off, there's not really much point in creating clones because genetic diversity is the primary issue of conservation.

Gene-editing IS already taking off. You don't understand that creating clones from past DNA can drastically improve the genetic diversity of existing populations. If there is a population of 10 critically endangered species who are all inbred, cloning ONE additional animal with past DNA makes an enormous difference.

Yes, we don't have enough woolly mammoth DNA and we may never have unless we find some hidden treasure trove of preserved DNA. But wooly mammoth is still much more feasible than say dinosaurs which is 100% impossible.

 

[YesIndeed]

I've heard since the turn of the century that scientists plan to bring back (example animal). Dinosaurs and especially the wooly mammoth have always been a popular one for academic discussion. It's interesting though on the gradual progress of cloning existing species to preserve genetics. The context of cloning and general extinct species is definitely a controversial one, it could add some unique gameplay to breeding rare animals although I do feel like a dlc of such treads on Jwe's territory

I think the only way we could see extinct animals in planet zoo is if they become no longer extinct. Like with the Tasmanian tiger that was mentioned in the initial post.