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from the their-genes-should-have-worked-out-more dept.
Tasmanian tigers were suffering from poor genetic diversity prior to being hunted to extinction by humans:
Australian scientists sequenced the genome of the native marsupial, also known as the thylacine. It showed the species, alive until 1936, would have struggled to survive even without human contact. The research also provides further insights into the marsupial's unique appearance.
"Even if we hadn't hunted it to extinction, our analysis showed that the thylacine was in very poor [genetic] health," said lead researcher Dr Andrew Pask, from the University of Melbourne. "The population today would be very susceptible to diseases, and would not be very healthy."
He said problems with genetic diversity could be traced back as far as 70,000 years ago, when the population is thought to have suffered due to a climatic event.
The researchers sequenced the genome from a 106-year-old specimen held by Museums Victoria. They said their study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, is one of the most complete genetic blueprints of an extinct species.
Genome of the Tasmanian tiger provides insights into the evolution and demography of an extinct marsupial carnivore (open, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0417-y) (DX)
Related: Huge Population and Lack of Genetic Diversity Killed Off the Passenger Pigeon
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @07:11PM (3 children)
Why would you revive something which was a genetic dead-end? This would be like some sort of a sick genetic-socialism.
(Score: 3, Touché) by bob_super on Tuesday December 12 2017, @08:13PM
Have you ever seen a Pug ?
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:32PM (1 child)
Why not? Besides, the "dead-endedness" can be fixed by some more genetic engineering or cross breeding.
If you could bring back this and maybe a few other extinct animals, and keep them in zoos in habitats closely resembling those they used to live in, just imagine how many people would pay for a ticket to see that.
Plus, the research would be useful for improving other species genetically, such as humans which to me look like they're not in genetically great shape either. I could be biased though, since I'm American, so most of what I see around me are obese people, but from what I'm reading, obesity is an epidemic in most developed nations, so clearly humans desperately need genetic engineering to deal with that flaw. Given the huge number of obese Americans (a majority of the population), and the high likelihood that you yourself are American (given your writing and this site's demographics), you're probably genetically inferior in this way too, so you should be all in favor of genetic research.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:53PM
Enough with the bullshit nationalist attacks.
Go fuck a head cow.