If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?
The Mesozoic Era, known as the “Age of Reptiles,” witnessed the dominance of dinosaurs, which scientists studied through fossils. While cloning these ancient creatures has captured imaginations, it raises ethical concerns and challenges the natural evolutionary process. Efforts to recreate dinosaurs are impractical and harmful.
Introduction
Science has made strides in understanding the intricacies of life, including dinosaurs. Improved technology and experimentation have opened new vistas. Occasionally, voices are heard about the efforts to recreate dinosaurs. It can be a flight of fancy, but it raises serious questions about its utility. Is it a practical idea? Let us delve deep into this and explore it further.
Scenario of fancy
The ambience was full of verdure, marshes, ditches, and large ponds with water and dead, decaying leaves. The atmosphere was resonating with the growls, howls, and trumpeting sounds of huge, gargantuan animals that were roaming freely. Some of these animals were as small as a rat. Most were up to forty feet long and about fourteen feet high.
Age of Reptiles
The animals described in the imaginary description above lived on Earth’s surface during the Mesozoic Era. They roamed around 179 million years ago. The Era comprises the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. During the time huge reptiles ruled the earth, hence it is nicknamed the “Age of Reptiles”.
(a) Dinosaurs
The huge creatures were gigantic lizards. Richard Owen first coined the word “Dinosaur”. The word is derived from the Greek word and is the combination of two: Deinos (Terrible, Powerful) and Sauria (Lizards). Thus, the huge and terrible lizards were called dinosaurs. This term has become a common catchphrase in the current erariends of today
(b) Huge and ferocious
Ferocious and huge, Dinosaurs must have been terrifying animals which were huge and massive. They must have been cumbersome, so much so that they spent most of their time in water. Water gave them buoyancy, making them feel light. Nowadays we see them as friends who amuse toddlers as “Dinos” or “Deenu”. Lovely Dino toys are available on online marketing platforms https://amzn.to/3VmI2tv Kids are happy playing and learning with them.
(c) “Jurassic Park”
Dinosaurs attracted eyeballs after the release of the iconic Hollywood film Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg. A mix of thrill, horror and human lust, the film was a blockbuster that successfully aroused sensation worldwide. The film shows a huge modern park housing cloned dinosaurs. The ferocious creatures escaped after the power failure to create a reign of terror. The film aptly underscores the horrible side effects of cloning animals that lived millions of years ago.
Era of giants
The period of dinosaurs must have been congenial for the growth of life on Earth. There must have been insignificant competition among the animals and plants. The plants, too, grew tall and massive. The overstories were dense and a great impediment to the solar light from reaching the understories. The plants vying for sunlight grew tall and massive with large canopies. The large canopies had countless leaves. They would have offered enough surface area to absorb sunlight. This would support photosynthesis and food production by the plants and trees.
(a) Undisputed reign
Less or no competition led animals to grow in size, volume and weight. The carnivores, a group of flesh-eating animals, developed serrated jaws. These jaws had sharp, knife-like teeth about six inches long to combat the presence of thick hides. Scientists worked tirelessly and meticulously. They succeeded in creating a model of these animals. They used the reconstructed skeletons of creatures that became extinct millions of years ago.
(b) reconstructed giants
Scientists managed to reconstruct the shape, size and probable skin texture of the animals found as fossils. Fossilised bones, eggs, footprints, et cetera helped a lot in the study of animals. Their food habits, way of living and hunting.
(c) Had Dinosaurs voice?
Scientists are clueless about their sound. Lower animals lack a vocal cord. By the vibration produced by air resonating with the tissue walls, they produce sound. No conclusive clue found about sound production by dinosaurs. Scientists studied their fossilised skulls and necks. This allowed them to infer that some dinosaurs may have had the ability to produce sound. (Dino World)
(d) Fugment of imagination
Here comes human imagination. Considering the size and volumes of dinosaurs, they imagined that sounds varied from ferocious growls and howls. Sounds also included screaming and shrieking to create the desired impact. Skillfully using it, the filmmaker of “Jurassic Park” created a sense of terror and sensation.
Varieties
About 700 species of non-avian dinosaurs have been discovered and identified by scientists. Out of them, the most commonly touted one is Tyrannosaurus rex, which was huge and the most terrifying of all. T. rex and others like Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Triceratops have become “human-friendly” and comic creatures.
Understanding Evolution
Apart from the glamour of Dinosaurs and their world, the study of dinosaurs helps in understanding the evolutionary trend. Reptiles are the connecting link between Amphibians, which are animals that can live both on land and in water. They also link to avifauna, that is, birds. Birds are bipedal, warm-blooded, and winged animals with hollow bones. The hollow bones give desired lightness by decreasing body weight.
A misnomer
Terming dinosaurs human-friendly is a misnomer, as humans were not around in that Era. It is a pure figment of imagination. They are shown with large, innocent, but expressive eyes. They have a wisp of a smile on their faces. Such cartoons amuse children and help increase the sales figures of the product with their pictures.
Scientific researches
The increasing knowledge, improved research technology, and evolution of new innovative technology have opened new vistas in scientific studies. Leeuwenhoek first observed a section of cork under a self-invented microscope. This initial observation has evolved into the modern, sophisticated study of the cell and its intricacies. This evolution has led to many further subdivisions of cell biology.
Cloning of organisms
Genetics is touching new heights. Scientists have managed to clone animals and plants and produce the exact animals that lived in past or current. People have a strong liking for sensations. Because of this, dollars are pumped into researching cloning techniques. The research uses DNA extracted from the fossilised remains of the organisms.
(a) “Dolly”
The process is still in progress. Scientists have succeeded in cloning animals. Sheep “Dolly” was the example. The cloned animal, though, did not survive long, but opened the way to produce clones.
(b) Dispute
Cloning of animals has created furore. Questions have been raised about the relevance of such research projects. In particular, concerning human beings, many ethical and legal questions were raised that need serious consideration. It is a long topic, and a detailed discussion needs space and time to discuss it. Suffice it to say that cloning of humans and animals are not a good idea. Those who are not in its favour put forth many arguments against it.
(c) Utopian idea
Cloning an animal which lived aeons ago is a utopian idea. It will need to create the ambience and environment of that time as well. The genetic structure would be according to the ecosystem of that time. It’ll adversely affect the animal, turning it into a ferocious giant or a timid animal. Both situations frustrate the basic idea of cloning an ancient animal or plant.
Cloning in farming
Cloning of farm animals or crop plants can be beneficial to increase food production. It helps create disease-resistant varieties of plants and animals with increased output, but it has a cost of its own. Use of BT Cotton and BT Brinjal has not been successful. Similarly, hue and cry are often heard on GM (Genetically Modified) seeds or produce. Their health benefits are still unknown, and a lot more has yet to be done.
In the end
Mother Nature has its own way of functioning. After years of experimentation, trial and error, Nature has evolved the organisms we see today. Reversing wheels is a futile idea and does not hold water. Evolution is an organic and progressive-moving process. Recreating a dinosaur is not a thing of amusement. It can have serious and harmful side effects. It is like reversing the whole evolutionary process. Thus, it is not practical and should not be pushed further.
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