Should Humanity Bring To Life a Neanderthal Clone?

For now, the Neanderthal genome is an abstract string of billions of DNA letters, stored in computer databases. But it naturally sparks the imagination: Could scientists use that genetic blueprint to create proto-Neanderthals in the flesh? In the not-so-distant future, advances in genetic engineering might enable that feat. But whether such a resurrection should happen is another story altogether. What makes modern humans unique? Scientists have taken another step toward solving an enduring mystery with a new tool, that may allow for more precise comparisons between the DNA of modern humans and that of our extinct ancestors. What's more, Humans and Neanderthals share up to 98.5 percent of our DNA, when you take into account that humans have up to 5% Neanderthal-specific DNA. Furthermore, an estimated 20% of the Neanderthal genome exists in living humans, so finding living DNA would not be so difficult. That’s a pretty small percentage, that means only 1.5% of our DNA is not shared with Neanderthals.

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[tiamat]

Yes! My mother-in-law deserves to know her people!!

[HepCatJack]

Humans used to be able to produce their own Vitamin C from the glucose they ingested but the gene became inert about 6 Million years ago. There could be a gene therapy for type II diabetes by re-introducing a working gene. This would help diabetics get rid of excess glucose by turning some of it in Vitamin C.

[JT-elkg]

This would be unethical. They would be held captive and studied. When they were alive they rejoiced, laughed and cried just like us.

[stormygirl]

No I don't think they should bring them back just so they could use them as lab rats and thats what would happen.

[asimian]

This idea of bringing back a Neanderthal--boy in this case--was explored in 1958 in Isaac Asimov's short story "The Ugly Little Boy", expanded later into a novel exploring Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. While this child was not a product of cloning, the plot device used was time travel. Nevertheless, the plot is about a Neanderthal child and how he and modern Homo Sapiens would interact. So, should we because we can? There are serious ethical issues which must be considered.

[anthonyproffitt]

Right or wrong, it is most likely going to happen at some point.

[petermathieson]

What could possibly go wrong. Man, playing God. We possess less knowledge than we think, and vastly less wisdom, but we certainly don't lack hubris.

[rogersmith]

A very sad fact of life is that because "we can" someone is the very likely to.

[marksauder]

As a species we should focus on slowing the rate of extinctions that we are causing every year.

[lesliesylvan]

You covered some pretty intense topics.
Good stuff.
Helps keep this aging brain computing!

[rogersmith]

You only have to go into any city centre on a Friday night to see these beasts - lol.

[nicksweeney]

0:15 Not billions of letters; only four.

[SlightlySusan]

I recently rewatched the British adaptation for the stage of Frankenstein. The monster declared that he was lonely. Should a Neanderthal clone survive to adulthood, that person would be very lonely as Frankenstein's monster was.

[ireneklauber]

I have difficulty stomaching our modern diet.

[indigoyarkindell]

Not just one, but enough to share a life with each other.

[bigred]

Short answer, no. Too many individuals in minority groups are heavily austracised already for being different than the norm, why add one more? There was a movie made, based on this idea and the kid was angry as hell that it was done to him, because he was treated so badly. It wouldn't be an experiment, it would be an out of place person with feelings being hurt continuously. Bad idea.

[Ozgipsy]

Wow. That’s planetary dominance on another level.

[zincChameleon]

I wrote a complete screenplay based on the idea that cloning Neanderthals was outlawed, so a corporation combined them with Dire Wolves to create a legal Wolf-Man.

[plopdoo]

They don't need to, I'm a neanderthal.

An upgraded version😂😂🤣

[simongross]

We should absolutely never do this. We can't even treat each other humanely and with respect.