# You can bring back one extinct species - what do you choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544 "2010-03-23T22:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/1 "2010-03-23T22:20:23Z")
We’re always fascinated by species that are extinct, from dodos to velociraptors, and eager to prevent it happening to species that are heading that way now. So a silly question - you can bring back exactly one individual from an extinct species, so you can’t bring back the entire species. It’ll be cloned, so you’ll start off with a baby one. And you can do whatever you want with it; donate to science or set free on your enemies. Oh, and you have all of Earth’s history to choose from. So, what do you bring back? Me, I’d go with a fairly recent (on the overall timescale) addition to the 99% of species which have gone extinct; a _homo neanderthalensis._ They all died out about 30,000 years ago. In popular culture they’re regarded as cavemen-like brutes, but I find them to be quite tragic figures - as intelligent as our ancestors, but now consigned to bones and pieces of flint. It’d be interesting to see the capabilities of one, and what it could tell us about our own species. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/2 "2010-03-23T22:24:24Z")
[Quetalcoatlus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus) would make the world a more interesting place. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/3 "2010-03-23T22:31:57Z")
Utahraptor. It would be my minion. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/4 "2010-03-23T22:37:18Z")
The largest, scariest ass bird of prey I could find. That way, children would have to stay in doors for fear of being eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/5 "2010-03-23T22:57:56Z")
Arheopterix, I’ve always wondered how well it could really fly. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/6 "2010-03-23T22:59:40Z")
Honest policticians? ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/7 "2010-03-24T01:54:50Z")
[The Passenger Pigeon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Pigeon). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/8 "2010-03-24T02:02:20Z")
Great Auk. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/9 "2010-03-24T02:03:56Z")
The [thylacine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine). ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/10 "2010-03-24T02:13:12Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > The [thylacine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine). Hey, you stole mine! I was going to say the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/11 "2010-03-24T02:14:51Z")
You already picked mine. I want to see if Neanderthals can breed with the current population of humans, which has been speculated might be possible… I’ll pick something else. Gigantopithecus! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/12 "2010-03-24T05:02:39Z")
Can’t decide, let me think. Stellar’s Sea Cow, we do have manatees and dugongs still. At least their reason for extinction might not happen again but maybe they are not unique enough. The Carolina Parakeet. I like the idea of an actual native North American parrot but we now have do many escaped parrot species that they might not have a niche anymore. Baiji, Chinese River Dolphin, may not be extinct but the problems that have led it to extinction still exist. I wouldn’t want to bring them back to the same situation. I guess I’ll go with the Dodo, I think they’d at least be amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/13 "2010-03-24T05:04:03Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Honest policticians? The OP said “extinct” not “mythical”. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/14 "2010-03-24T05:53:35Z")
I would bring back the [Aiolornis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiolornis)! A giant vulture-looking thing with a wingspan of 18 feet! > [@Wile\_E](#): > > > [@drachillix](#): > > > > Honest policticians? > > The OP said “extinct” not “mythical”. Haha! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/15 "2010-03-24T06:14:50Z")
The [Huia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huia). ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/16 "2010-03-24T06:31:26Z")
The question of neaderthal’s intelligence is not settled. There’s not a lot of evidence of language or art, or the same level of sophistication in their tools when compared to sapiens of the same time. I’d like to have a neanderthal to settle questions like “just how smart were they?” I would like to see if a neanderthal could participate meaningfully in modern society if it grew from an infant today. It’s also not settled whether neanderthal and sapiens could interbreed, and whether their offspring would be fertile. I think I agree with the OP that I’d bring one back just for the opportunity to understand more about our closest cousins. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/17 "2010-03-24T07:24:29Z")
[Megalodon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon). I’m already terrified of the ocean, what do I care? ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/18 "2010-03-24T08:23:57Z")
Neanderthals were the first thing I thought of as well when I read the thread title. Although reviving a species close to but probably below our intellectual level would raise a number of tricky ethical and political questions. And if as some argue, humans were responsible for wiping them out, I am not sure how they would feel about living with us. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/19 "2010-03-24T08:40:19Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > The question of neaderthal’s intelligence is not settled. There’s not a lot of evidence of language or art, or the same level of sophistication in their tools when compared to sapiens of the same time. I’d like to have a neanderthal to settle questions like “just how smart were they?” I would like to see if a neanderthal could participate meaningfully in modern society if it grew from an infant today. It’s also not settled whether neanderthal and sapiens could interbreed, and whether their offspring would be fertile. I think I agree with the OP that I’d bring one back just for the opportunity to understand more about our closest cousins. Indeed, although the evidence suggests that they weren’t complete knuckle-draggers - their brains were as big (or bigger) than ours. > [@](#): > > Neanderthals also performed many sophisticated tasks which are normally associated only with humans. For example, it is known that they controlled fire, constructed complex shelters, and skinned animals. A trap excavated at La Cotte de St Brelade in Jersey gives testament to their intelligence and success as hunters.[34] (from wiki) It’s also possible that they used [musical instruments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divje_Babe_flute), although we don’t know for sure. They were certainly able to speak, and differentiate between a wide range of sounds, but whether they actually did speak to each other, who knows, so that would be good to find out too. I think the word ‘cousins’ there says a lot, they do appear to me like a kind of sister-species to our own. I also though of _Homo erectus or rudolfensis_ or going back a bit something like _Australopithecus afarensis_. But we can take a reasonable guess about the behaviour of these chaps, some point between man and the common ancestor. Neanderthals on the other hand appear familiar enough to empathise with but alien enough to be fascinating, particularly their fate. On preview, @ **Lantern** - the individual wouldn’t be aware of the collective memory of the species, but if we deign to educate (if this is even possible) him/her about their kin you might indeed have a point. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/20 "2010-03-24T09:14:04Z")
Have to go with Dodo - I bet they’d be delicious. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544.md?page=2)