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Animals Can Be Declared De-Extinct ... But How Does That Work?

Scientists have discovered how to breathe life back into species that were once considered extinct — but doing that could have consequences.

By: Tyler Adkisson

Posted at 5:03 PM, Jun 14, 2017

and last updated 2017-06-14 17:03:54-04

For some lost species, de-extinction could offer a literal revival.

It's estimated 20 percent of species on Earth currently face extinction, and by the end of the century, that number could up to 50 percent.

There are several ways to resurrect a species. Scientists can use back-breeding, a technique that involves breeding animals to develop the genetic traits in their extinct relatives.

Other researchers might opt for cloning — taking a cell nucleus from an extinct species and putting it into a related host — or just manipulating an existing animal's genes.

But because de-extinction efforts are relatively new, there's a lot of disagreement over if it's a good idea.