Why Raise The Dead? - An empirical analysis on how and why species candidates are chosen for de-extinction projects

Abstract

Introduction Nature conservation is more important than ever, since biodiversity is plummeting and the existence of many ecosystems is threatened. Next to nature itself, this is also harmful for human society. De-extinction is a recent development within nature conservation. With de-extinction an extinct species is recreated through back-breeding, cloning or genome engineering. Discussions focus on the release and management of the resurrected species. Less attention is paid to the choices that are made regarding species selection, although this partly determines the impact on the environment. To create an holistic overview of these choices so better informed decisions can be made, this thesis explains how species candidates are chosen in de-extinction projects. Theory De-extinction is proposed as a nature conservation method, but the choices for candidate species are not made solely for conservation purposes. In this thesis, the theoretical framework by Dalrymple (2006) is used to map how users, researchers, funders, and public value interact and shape the decision-making. This builds upon the Social Construction of Technology, which explains the influence of society on technology development. Methods In total, nine de-extinction projects were identified. Semi-structured and structured interviews were held with relevant actors, and a systematic literature research was performed. All data were coded in Microsoft Excel, which resulted in a list of motives. The theoretical framework was used to identify patterns, and to interpret the findings. Results Two main findings were discovered. First, seven motives were found to play a role in the selection of species candidates. These motives strongly depart from existing literature on how species candidates should be selected. Second, animal charisma is an essential condition for any species to be selected. The interaction between the actors creates an environment in which charismatic species are structurally favoured as de-extinction candidates. Discussion & Conclusion This favouritism for charismatic species is recognised in the literature on nature conservation. This thesis, however, gives a first holistic insight in the preferences for species candidates in de-extinction projects, and it is the first research that uses such a framework to analyse this. The favouritism for charisma gives reason for concern, since this may deflect from achieving optimal conservation outcomes. Therefore, the actors must create new circumstances in which the researcher can make different choices. Overall, this thesis contributes to understanding how nature conservation will be shaped in the future, which will help the actors to make better informed decisions regarding de-extinction candidates.