Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct millions of years before humans appeared on Earth, and it's unlikely we'll see them again in the foreseeable future. Contrary to popular belief in movies, scientists are certain we cannot clone dinosaurs. The biggest reason is that dinosaur DNA has not been preserved.
There are still many practical obstacles to cloning dinosaurs.
Professor Barrett said, "As far as we know, DNA doesn't last long."
"The oldest DNA in the existing fossil record is about 2 million years old, and that is just fragments of DNA from bacteria, soil, fungi, etc. As for animals, the oldest existing animal genetic data is about 50,000 years old."
"As far as ancient organisms are concerned, we don't have the DNA of any extinct animals or plants, so I don't think it's possible."
Diakmo agreed, stating that even major scientific breakthroughs in dinosaur genetics do not mean dinosaurs can be cloned. "Cloning species from such distant geological periods involves too many uncertain and variable factors; it is extremely complex."
She also raised concerns about potential ethical issues. "Movies like Jurassic Park tell us not to do this, otherwise humanity will suffer, and what does bringing distant prehistoric creatures into the modern world mean for them?"
