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Monday, March 23, 2020

Book Review: Resurrection Science - Conservation, De-Extinction, and the Precarious Future of Wild Things


“We value what’s here but to realize how much more was here before, that this place, North America, had manifestations of life unrivaled anywhere in the world… There’s no better cautionary tale to the proposition that, no matter how abundant it is, you can lose it.”

You can lose many things, including your natural landscapes and the species living in them.  But can you also get them back?

Among the many social media trends that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a string of news stories depicting a resurgent nature.  From elephants in China to dolphins in the canals of Venice, these stories give people hope that, at the very least, nature is doing well, possible even thriving.  Unfortunately, most of these stories are incorrect or inaccurate, some made up, some exaggerations, and some depicting things which were already true and trying to paint them as a positive side effect of the current crisis.

As screwed up as this planet is, it’s going to take a lot more than a few weeks of humans keeping inside to make much of a difference.

Still, these stories reflect one truth about our society – we’re always trying to be hopeful, imagining that it’s possible to reclaim that which has been lost.  We don’t want to think that the natural world is doomed.  And it’s true – there have been cases of endangered species returning, habitats being restored, and ecosystems rebuilt.

Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction, and the Precarious Future of Wild Things, by M. R. O’Connor, is a collection of stories detailing the efforts to restore lost species.  Some, such as the Kihansi spray toad of Tanzania, were lost only in the sense that they were extinct in the wild, but populations survived under human care in zoos. Others, such as the passenger pigeon of North America, were once plentiful, seemingly infinite in their numbers, and are now extinct… at least until ambitious scientists finally unlock the secrets of cloning.  There are even floated ideas about perhaps the most controversial cloning project of all – the resurrection of our extinct sister species, Homo neanderthalensis.

Most of the species highlighted aren’t quite so shocking or controversial.  One case study recounts the efforts to save Florida’s iconic panthers by introducing new blood in the form of Texas cougars – a move which some scientists credit with bringing the endangered big cats from extinction, while others feel essentially erased the unique subspecies by creating a new, blended panther.  Another involves the efforts to salvage the genetic material of the last few northern white rhinos, clinging to existence in the low single digits, waiting for their inevitable extinction unless a method of preserving them can be found.  Some of the stories seem more along the lines of science fiction than traditional conservation biology, but all hold, with varying degrees of practicality, the potential to rewild the world.

Yes, O’Connor challenges the reader, but at what cost?

Considering the Kihansi spray toads, O’Connor reminds the reader that the existence of this diminutive amphibian was only brought to the world’s attention when they were discovered prior to the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains.  Tanzania is a poor country, with the economic potential of its people being limited in large part by a lack of access to electric power. 

Is the fate of a small, obscure species that occupies only a football field-sized patch of damp meadow worth not taking steps that could improve the lives of millions of people?  Is it responsible to bring passenger pigeons back from the dead, only to create one more species in need of intensive conservation management when there are already so many in need of help?  Is the Florida panther that we have today really a Florida panther still?  And if it’s not, should we be spending so much time and effort managing it?  We’ve accepted a panther-free Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, etc… what difference does Florida really make?

O’Connor isn’t an anti-conservation crank, and her writings share her deep concern about the survival of species.  Instead, she simply challenges her readers, reminding them that we have to be willing to ask these questions, and others like them.  We’re never, ever getting back to a pristine nature, untouched by the hand of man.  For many species, their continued survival will be due to intensive management, both in the wild, the zoo, and, in some cases, the genetics lab.  We need to decide what kind of “natural” world we’re going to be leaving to future generations.   Part of that might involve realizing that we can’t save everything… though we can still try.


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