Reviving Extinct Species: Is It Worth the Cost?

[In_The_Wind]

Reviving Extinct Species: Is It Worth the Cost?
By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | February 27, 2017 11:22am ET

Bringing extinct species back from the dead could mean letting living species slip away.

A new study of de-extinction — the potential to use genetic techniques to recreate lost animals and plants — finds that given limited conservation dollars, the benefits of bringing back one lost species would probably cost the extinction of more species that are currently on the brink. For example, if New Zealand resurrected 11 of its extinct species, the government would have to sacrifice the conservation of 33 living species to pay to keep the revived species alive, researchers reported today (Feb. 27) in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

"There would be sacrifices," said study author Joseph Bennett, a professor of biology at Carleton University in Ontario. "Without major increases in budgets, it would be like a one-step forward, two-step back scenario."

Read more at this link ...


http://www.livescience.com/58027-cost-of-reviving-extinct-species.html?utm_source=notification



Carolina parakeet
Credit: Jonathan S. Blair/National Geographic
The Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) was the only native species of parrot in the eastern United States, having ranged from southern New York to the Gulf of Mexico, and as far west as Wisconsin. The birds went extinct in the early 20th century.

[Aristus]

1. I think it depends upon the species.

Would the species being revived be considered invasive in the region in which it is to be re-introduced?

Would it negatively affect other species in the area?

I love the idea of bringing back species we killed off, like the passenger pigeon or the quagga. But the reality of it would almost certainly have unintended consequences...

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I agree with you on all points

But for some reason this made me think of dinosaurs. I'd love to see those we loved and lost returned to us, but I probably watch too much TV and keep thinking there could be abuses...

[mopinko]

8. the carolina parakeet

was wiped out as an agricultural pest. i doubt it was. i am sure we would deal w it differently today.
that said, we have lots of escaped parrot species now. people have debated how to deal w them. monk parakeets wreak a certain amount of havoc here in chicago. because they are not native, they arent protected. but they are pretty beloved.
their biggest issue is their huge community nests. they love to find a warm spot to build them. they love the electric transformers. they are routinely removed as a fire hazard. but now they are removed more carefully than they used to be.

folks on the love side point to the carolina, saying we wiped them out, and now have no parrots. so let this one fill that niche. sorta.
their primarily urban habitat means they dont threaten the food supply.
other parrots in other places have a similar following.

seems to me the concentration should be on species whose loss threatens other species/habitats.
wolves come to mind.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thanks for mentioning monk parakeets. Didn't know they lived in Chicago!

Had to check google images to see them, and they are beautiful. I had no idea they could survive that far north.

Images:
https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&hl=en&authuser=0&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1650&bih=834&q=monk+parakeets+&oq=monk+parakeets+&gs_l=img.12..0l4j0i30k1l2j0i5i30k1l2j0i24k1l2.663.663.0.2018.2.2.0.0.0.0.100.100.0j1.1.0....0...1.1.64.img..1.1.99.0.atNBW0uMfjI

[mopinko]

10. they make great pets.

have a neighbor who had one land on her, and adopt her. he goes pretty much everywhere w her. on her bike.

fun story how they got a foothold here.
when they arrived, from pet trade escapes, likely, they started out on the lakefront. they had the good sense to pick a couple trees in front of a building called the flamingo in hyde park.
as it happens, one of the occupants of the building was then mayor harold washington. he had noticed them, and thought they were a good luck omen. so he instructed his security detail to keep an eye on them. since they mostly sat in a car in front of the building, the nests were safe.
a lot of the other spots they landed in were predated by that ugliest of 2 legged predators, looking for a quick buck selling the young ones.

but not this one. in the 6-something years that washington was mayor, and for a long while after thanks to his loving neighbors, the south shore flock grew huge. they spread to nearby washington park which is a pretty sleepy, underutilized park. soon they seemed like they were in every tree.

they come from cold climes, which is why they are (pretty sure) the only parrots who build communal nests. those suckers get huge too. i am sure they are toasty warm even here.

[PJMcK]

2. Bring back the Dodo bird! (n/t)

[old guy]

3. They never went extinct.

Their name was changed to fundamentalist christian Republican.

[PJMcK]

4. Excellent! (n/t)

[In_The_Wind]

5. Ha

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Good one!