# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/21 "2010-03-24T10:10:27Z")
Homo Floriensis - the ‘hobbit’. How tragic is it that but for a volcanic eruption they would likely have survived to the present day? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/22 "2010-03-24T11:15:24Z")
I’m torn. Dodos might be nice, but I think I need to go with Diictodon. Can you imagine have one of [these little guys](http://primeval.wikia.com/wiki/File:Diictodon_promo.jpg) as a pet? Awww, puppy-lizards! ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/23 "2010-03-24T11:43:45Z")
A [Steppe Mammoth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppe_mammoth). Then I’d be much more badass than Hannibal and would conquor Rome at my leisure. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/24 "2010-03-24T11:49:44Z")
I’ve recently come across the rather sad tale of the [Stephens Island Wren](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Q0862JcEg&#t=7m37s). Seems to have caught rather a bad break in the extinction lottery. The story is not true, according to wikipedia, but it is quite interesting. > [@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. Apparently they’d be wizards at buying car insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Foma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Foma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foma)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/25 "2010-03-24T12:09:48Z")
[Smilodon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilodon), or Saber-toothed tiger. Hannibal can have his elephants, I’ll ride in on a tiger. ---
**Author:** ![Eleasarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@Eleasarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleasarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/26 "2010-03-24T12:48:29Z")
Neanderthals were my first thought after reading the thread title, even before reading all the posts saying the same. ---
**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, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/27 "2010-03-24T12:54:30Z")
By the accounts of people that ate Dodo, they were not great tasting. What do you expect from a relative of the pigeon? They are not likely to be raised as a replacement for chicken meat if you resurrect one. ---
**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, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/28 "2010-03-24T13:06:48Z")
> [@Racer1](#): > > A [Steppe Mammoth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppe_mammoth). Then I’d be much more badass than Hannibal and would conquor Rome at my leisure. > [@Foma](#): > > [Smilodon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilodon), or Saber-toothed tiger. Hannibal can have his elephants, I’ll ride in on a tiger. Oh, hell yes. Why are extinct animals so much more badass than the ones we’ve got left? Even the names sound harder. Like the [mastodon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastadon), you don’t mess with that. > [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > By the accounts of people that ate Dodo, they were not great tasting. What do you expect from a relative of the pigeon? They are not likely to be raised as a replacement for chicken meat if you resurrect one. According to Mr. Burns their eggs are quite delish. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/29 "2010-03-24T13:08:06Z")
Another vote for Neanderthal, I’d be interested to see if they could learn a modern language. As an aside, I saw a documentary programme the other day where the presenter was disguised as a neanderthal (brow ridges, big nose, neaderthal skull shape). He was able to walk down the street without attracting much attention. > [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I want to see if Neanderthals can breed with the current population of humans, which has been speculated might be possible. Neanderthal porn. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/30 "2010-03-24T13:15:12Z")
[The Elephant Bird](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Bird). I want to ride one! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/31 "2010-03-24T13:56:45Z")
Homo Erectus. At least somewhat intelligent, capable of tool use, and distinctly non-human. …perfect slaves. ---
**Author:** ![davekhps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@davekhps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davekhps)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/32 "2010-03-24T14:18:27Z")
Any dinosaur would be cool, for the obvious reasons. But personally, I want to learn something REALLY strange: [trilobites](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilobite). ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/33 "2010-03-24T14:24:38Z")
I suppose I would want to revive the Most Recent Common Ancestor of H. sapiens, P. troglodytes and P. paniscus. Or is the proper term ‘concestor’ now? ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/34 "2010-03-24T14:27:06Z")
Dodos would solve the world’s hunger problems, one 40-pound docile chicken at a time. No offense or anything dodos, I would probably just keep one or two as pets. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/35 "2010-03-24T14:48:20Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Utahraptor. It would be my minion. A good choice, but as a second choice I would nominate the Giant Fossa (\*Cryptoprocta spelea), \*formerly of Madagascar. A 6-foot long **man-eating** weasel, that reportedly used to crawl into people’s homes in the middle of the night. ---
**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 24, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/36 "2010-03-24T14:50:49Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > A good choice, but as a second choice I would nominate the Giant Fossa (\*Cryptoprocta spelea), \*formerly of Madagascar. A 6-foot long **man-eating** weasel, that reportedly used to crawl into people’s homes in the middle of the night. I like how you think! Would the Fossa be able to lure the people into not being afraid at first by acting kind of cute and cuddly and then going in for the kill? Because I might just bump it up to first place for that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/37 "2010-03-24T15:16:36Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > By the accounts of people that ate Dodo, they were not great tasting. What do you expect from a relative of the pigeon? I’ve heard that Dodo wasn’t particularly tasty, just easy to catch - but not sure what you mean about the other bit. Pigeon is delicious. ---
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/38 "2010-03-24T15:24:31Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve heard that Dodo wasn’t particularly tasty, just easy to catch - but not sure what you mean about the other bit. Pigeon is delicious. Pigeon = Winged rat ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/39 "2010-03-24T15:32:09Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Pigeon = Winged rat Not at all. Maybe you wouldn’t want to eat the city-dwellers, but many (if not most) pigeons & doves are great to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544/40 "2010-03-24T15:50:18Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Pigeon = Winged rat If you’re talking about city pigeons, then maybe, but it’s the city part that makes them less than appetising, not the pigeon part. Wood pigeon is on a par with fillet steak, IMO. I’m quite certain Rock Dove (aka city pigeon) would be too, if it wasn’t eating garbage and vomit in filthy urban conditions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-bring-back-one-extinct-species-what-do-you-choose/533544.md?page=3)