Dodo from bec: 10 extinct animal species that will soon be revived

Have you ever seen zebras that nature has not given half of the stripes to? Well, of course, they died out 150 years ago. But, quite possibly, they will appear on earth again soon.

Using found DNA samples and genetically close relatives, scientists are working to bring dozens of extinct animal species back to life. Candidates are selected by a specially created foundation of American Stuart Brand. Some of these species disappeared only a few decades ago, others have not existed for thousands of years. The animals with the greatest chance of reincarnation are in our selection.

The specimens of the woolly rhinoceros preserved in the permafrost ice give a chance that these giants will come back to life. 14 thousand years ago, they lived in the vast expanses of Eurasia. The reason for the extinction was global changes in the climate, as well as the close attention of people who hunted rhinos because of the very warm skin and meat.

The elephant bird is the so-called epiornis for its impressive size (three meters in height and half a ton in weight). These inhabitants of Madagascar hatched eggs six times more than ostrich eggs. Some consider the epiornis to be the embodiment of the mythical bird Rukh, which allegedly could carry off a camel. They died out in the XVII century through the fault of people, and now humanity is trying to make amends.

Ornithologists of the Cornell Laboratory appointed a reward of 50 thousand dollars for the discovery of the preserved remains of this species of woodpeckers. They used to live in forests in the southeastern United States, but in the middle of the last century they seemed to have sunk into the water.

The last representative of the species that lived in the south of France and in Northern Pyrenees, died in 2000. Scientists attempted to clone him, but the cub died shortly after birth. DNA samples, however, have been preserved, so the probability of the revival of Pyrenean mountain goats remains.

Until people came to the island of Mauritius, where these harmless birds lived, the dodo had no enemies. Therefore, dodos were extremely trusting, and it was not difficult to hunt them. And the meat was delicious... the last dodo was seen four hundred years ago. In 2007, a well-preserved skeleton of a bird with DNA samples was found on the island, which gave hope for the revival of the Mauritian dodos.

Quaggas, or plains zebras, once roamed the savannahs of South Africa. This is almost the only extinct animal that was tamed by man, it was used to protect livestock. The last quagga died in Amsterdam Zoo in 1883. A few years ago, a project was launched to restore the species, and a stallion named Henry has already been bred, but he is significantly different from his historical relatives.

The Chinese river dolphin has been swimming in the waters of the Yangtze River for centuries. But ten years ago he was declared missing. However, at the end of last year, there were eyewitnesses who claim to have met this inhabitant of the underwater world. If living individuals really exist, animal rights activists will do everything possible to preserve the species.

The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, is the only marsupial on the list. It lived in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea until the 1960s. Perhaps their relatives, the Tasmanian devils, who are carriers of similar DNA, will help to revive the thylacines.

The sea wolf was called not only seasoned sailors, but also Caribbean monk seals. They were exterminated because of valuable fat. Sea wolves are closely related to Hawaiian and white-bellied seals, which are now alive and well, so there is hope for a return.

It would seem that someone is in abundance, so it's pigeons. In colonial times, passenger pigeons, they are also itinerant, were found in such numbers that the trees could not withstand their weight when a whole flock descended on the branches. But the last passenger pigeon died in 1914.