#deextinction

"During an archaeological dig in a desert area north of Jerusalem 40 years ago, a seed was discovered which was determined to be in pristine condition but had obviously seen many a year.

Now, despite falling from its parent 1,000 years ago, it has grown into a mature tree, and botanists examining it believe it may be an extinct species that was used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years—even receiving a nod in the Bible.

Neither Israeli botanists, nor Dr. Sarah Sallon, a physician who founded the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, could determine what species it was from simply from the seed covering. So they did what nature intended—they planted it.

Using a well-documented technique that saw 2,000-year-old date palm fruit pits germinate, Dr. Sallon soaked the seed in hormones, liquid fertilizer, and water, and then planted it in a pot of sterile seed; then waited.

Despite its genetic code being exposed to environmental stressors for over 1,000 years, the seed sprouted after 5 weeks. The shoot was protected by a caplike feature called an operculum. As the shoot grew, the operculum was shed—leaving something for the team to radiocarbon date. It narrowed down the age of the almost 10-centuries-old seed to between the years 993 an 1202.

Fast forward 14 years and the plant has become a 10-foot-tall tree. Dr. Sallon shared images of the tree, its bark, and its leaves with botanists around the world. One expert suggested it belonged to the genus Commiphora, found across the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. A genetic analysis subsequently revealed this was the case, but a perfect match was lacking.

Pictured: The tree, now 14 years old.

Dr. Sallon and her team thought it was an extinct species known from history as Judean Balsam, but the best way to confirm that suspicion would be to have some aromatic traces similar to the resins of the myrrh tree to which it is related. However, no such fragrant compounds were detected.

Instead, the chemical analysis of the leaves identified a group of phytochemicals known as guggulterols which have been observed in a related species called Commiphora wightii that’s known to possess certain cancer-fighting properties in its resin.

A medicinal balm, the origin of which is not known, is mentioned in multiple historical texts including the Bible as ‘tsori,’ and rather than the fragrant Judean Balsam, it’s this tsori that Dr. Sallon and her team believe they have found.

They must wait until the tree, now 14 years old, produces flower or fruit to know for sure if it’s an extinct species, and if so, how to perhaps keep it alive.

Dr. Louise Colville, senior research leader in seed and stress biology at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London who wasn’t involved in the research, told CNN that it was a major accomplishment to grow a seed that old and possibly lead to a resurrection of this Biblical botanical.

“What’s surprising in this story is it was just a single seed and to be able to have one chance for that to germinate is extremely lucky,” she said.

“Working in a seed bank, seeing the potential for that extreme longevity gives us hope that banking and storing seeds that some at least will survive for very long periods of time.”"

-via Good News Network, October 8, 2024

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They are not "Dire Wolves"

You can't do some gene editing to a gray wolf, and call it a dire wolf.

My feelings are summed up well in this article:

Scientists: No, those are definitely not 'resurrected' dire wolves

11/03/2026

Conservationists have confirmed that Large Tortoiseshell is no longer extinct in Britain, with the species now breeding here once again.

Although the species is officially classed as 'regionally extinct' in Great Britain on Butterfly Conservation's GB Butterfly Red List, last updated in 2022, experts at the charity have said that this status will change when the next Red List assessment is made in a few years' time.

The news follows a recent cluster of early spring records across southern England, with butterflies emerging from hibernation in counties including Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. These sightings have led conservationists to recognise the species once again as a resident rather than a migrant or vagrant.

Large Tortoiseshell was widely believed to have disappeared from Britain during the mid-20th century, with the species considered extinct as a breeding butterfly for several decades. Its decline was often linked to the widespread loss of elm trees caused by Dutch elm disease, although the precise reasons for its disappearance have never been fully understood.

Britain's 60th resident butterfly species

Recent evidence, however, suggests the butterfly has begun to re-establish itself. Since 2020, caterpillars have been discovered feeding on trees in the wild – clear proof that the species is breeding again in Britain.

Professor Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation, said in The Guardian the development was encouraging. He commented: "The signs are really positive, which is lovely. It is resident and therefore it is another species to add to Britain's total."

Unlike the familiar Small Tortoiseshell, whose caterpillars feed on nettles, Large Tortoiseshell is associated with trees. Its larvae feed on species including elm, willow, aspen and poplar, and the adults typically inhabit woodland and wooded landscapes.

Large Tortoiseshell becomes the country's 60th resident butterfly species.

Large Tortoiseshell back in Britain

Researchers believe climate change and growing populations on the European continent may be helping the butterfly recolonise southern Britain. Increasing numbers have migrated across the North Sea and the Channel in recent years, particularly from the Netherlands and France.

Although the species is not yet firmly established nationwide, conservationists say the recent breeding records and spring sightings offer hope that Large Tortoiseshell may once again become a regular part of Britain's butterfly fauna.

As much as I'd like to see, say, a thylacine or a woolly mammoth in the flesh, its a stupid idea. Why spend millions of dollars trying to recreate a species that is long dead, when we have species right now that are in danger of going extinct?

Even ignoring the tons of money that could be relocated for actually endangered species (which is quite hard to do), the ecosystem that woolly mammoths once populated is no longer able to support it. It has been thousands of years since they went extinct. These ecosystems no longer quite "need" megafauna to survive. Hypothetically, reintroducing them would help. But with climate change rapidly changing landscapes, how can you garauntee that this species will not be doomed to reextinction?

Elio reacting to colossal biosciences news

I just saw a headline about how a company raised $200 million to try to ressurect extinct species. But we can't guarantee we can keep them alive in a changing environment. We haven't reversed climate change. And while we've stopped some species from going extinct, we've failed for other species.

I mean look, we need to stop thinking about bringing the dead back to life and trying to use conservation efforts to preserve endangered living species. That's what I really think