RE-WILDING NORTH AMERICA
What is the cause of megafauna extinctions?
humans :(
(Changing ecosystems, altered evolution)
What is the method used for de-extinction?
Synthetic-Biology
What is the poster child for de-extinction?
The passenger pigeon!
What are the three elements of re-wilding?
Rewilding is the act of restoring ecosystems through the reintroduction of species, restoring habitats, and reducing human interference.
Which species would be the most difficult to de-extinct and why? (Image on Slideshow)
Species A
What is the Allee effect?
The more species there are, the better off they are
What are the difficulties of reintroducing large mammals into the wild? (3 Things)
1. Naturalistic settings
2. Appropriate habitat
3. Catching live prey
What are the criteria for de-extinction? (Three Things)
1. Available habitat that is suitable for present and future
2. Viable population size
3. Previous threats are now gone
What point does the speaker suggest for the alternative use of funding mentioned in the video?
Money can be distributed to proven conservation methods to save species that are currently endangered instead of de-extinction.
What are the objections to re-wilding? (4 Things)
1. Disease transmission
2. Habitats haven't remained static
3. Unexpected ecological/social consequences of reintroduction
4. Perimeter fencing limits movement
How are species categorized on the ladder of extinction?
IUCN Red list
What are the limitations of de-extinction for the passenger pigeon? (4 Things)
1. They lay one egg each
2. Benefit from hundreds of thousands of other pigeons around them to stimulate mating
3. Maternal care is limited or not available to full extent
4. They will have lost traits
How do conservationists address the potential consequences of reintroduction?
Issues must be addressed by research, management plans, and unbiased discourse on a case-by-case basis. Having a well-designed hypothesis-driven experiment for potential reintroduction. It's best done on private land.
What is the EDGE List acronym and what is its significance?
Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered.
It emphasizes not only how close a species is to extinction but also how evolutionary distinct it is.
What issues do epigenetics contribute to de-extinction?
Epigenetic departures will be extreme. The internal and external environments of a cell tell DNA how to function properly. Epigenetic cell factors will be different in cells with inserted DNA that original mother cells which is unlikely to be recovered.