While I understand the temptation, I do not think we should resurrect wooly mammoths. I agree with Love Dalén’s skepticism that it is unlikely that the reintroduction of wooly mammoths will have a measurable effect on climate change. I think it is much more likely that there are unforeseen consequences that affect the local food chain and environment. They may have been native to the Siberian Penisula but as noted by the article, they have been gone for thousands of years, and the ecosystem has had to adapt to a way of life without them, even if “imperfectly.” We have seen how much the reintroduction of an animal can affect an entire ecosystem, even going so far as to change the course of the rivers as in the case of the Yellowstone wolves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc52l5ZcAJ0). Additionally, there is the example of the kudzu vine which was intentionally introduced in North America due to its natural beauty and ability to slow soil erosion. However, the vine grows rapidly and quickly choked out local flora. If a non-extinct mammal and a foreign plant can have this much impact, I can’t imagine what a large extinct mammal, like the wooly mammoth, might do.
Furthermore, there is the additional uncertainty regarding the creation of an entirely new species, an Asian Elephant-mammoth hybrid. We don’t know what kind of evolutionary advantages or disadvantages this hybrid genome might give the wooly mammoth. This mix might also result in further unforeseen consequences.
There are also ethical considerations around using CRISPR genome technology. CRISPR has amazing potential in genetics but there is already widespread concern over how this technology may be abused. Today’s focus on resurrecting the wooly mammoth might seem benign enough, but what kind of doors does this open for scientists down the line? As scientists experiment with CRISPR we have already begun to record unintended consequences of gene-editing. For example, one study suggests that using CRISPR for gene-editing in humans results in the loss of cancer-fighting ability (https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/a3qv7a/dna-damage-from-crispr-has-been-seriously-underestimated). It seems to me that the risks of this technology still outweigh the benefits, especially when considering undertaking such a massive project as resurrecting a long-extinct species.
I think if the scientists involved in the Colossal project want to contribute to preserving species, their efforts would be better served by concentrating this technology on saving the many species at risk of extinction as global temperatures continue to rise and habitats are further destroyed or encroached upon. I think scientists need to remember just because we can (although, this is still up for debate), does not mean we should. Have we learned nothing from the 10 Jurassic Park movies?