Scientists have studied the DNA of Neanderthals in order to find out the possibility of cloning

Until recently, the idea of cloning a Neanderthal seemed exclusively a science fiction plot. However, today such issues are increasingly being discussed seriously, not only due to the rapid development of genetics, but also against the background of high—profile projects for the so-called "resurrection" of extinct species. New technologies allow scientists to study ancient DNA more deeply, and therefore the question naturally arises: if the Neanderthal genome has long been deciphered, what prevents one day from bringing back to life the closest relative of a modern human? The answer turns out to be much more complicated than it seems at first glance. About how realistic such a scenario is and why many experts consider it primarily an ethical rather than a technical problem, see the Izvestia article.

Why is the issue of Neanderthal cloning being discussed again

The topic of Neanderthal cloning began to be discussed again after the publication of the journal Popular Science, dedicated to the modern possibilities of paleogenetics. The reason was not new discoveries directly related to Neanderthals, but the success of companies working on projects of the so-called "de-extinction" - the restoration of extinct species. In recent years, such projects have ceased to be perceived solely as science fiction and have turned into real biotechnology programs funded by private investors and large research centers.

One of the most discussed projects was the work of the American company Colossal Biosciences, which last year announced the creation of animals with signs of the extinct dire wolf. However, experts soon clarified that this was not a real "resurrection" of an extinct species. The researchers used genetically modified modern animals, in which individual changes were made to the genome based on ancient DNA. Many biologists believe that such experiments should be called genetic engineering rather than cloning, since they do not reproduce the body of an extinct animal in its original form.

At first glance, the idea of cloning Neanderthals seems logical: if scientists are able to work with animal DNA, why not apply the same technology to the closest relatives of modern humans? However, experts emphasize that there is a huge scientific and ethical gap between these tasks. Neanderthals are not just another extinct species. They belonged to the genus Homo, had developed brains, created complex tools, cared for the sick and came into contact with the ancestors of modern humans.

Therefore, the question is formulated differently today. If 10 years ago scientists were mainly discussing whether cloning a Neanderthal was technically possible, now the focus is on something else: even if such a technology ever appears, does humanity have the moral right to create a representative of an extinct human species for the sake of scientific experiment?

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Why is this not possible yet

Despite the impressive progress of genetics, modern science does not yet have the technology to clone a Neanderthal. The main reason lies in the very principle of cloning. To create a genetic copy of an organism, researchers need a living cell with an intact nucleus containing a complete set of chromosomes. It was according to this scheme that the famous Dolly sheep was cloned in 1996: the cell nucleus of an adult sheep was transferred to an egg, from which its own DNA was previously removed, after which the resulting embryo was implanted into a surrogate mother.

The situation with Neanderthals is fundamentally different: the last representatives of this species disappeared about 40 thousand years ago, so not a single living cell suitable for cloning has been preserved. All the available samples are ancient bones and teeth, from which only small damaged fragments of DNA can be extracted. Over tens of thousands of years, genetic material is destroyed by time, moisture, temperature, and microorganisms, so scientists have to literally assemble the ancient genome piece by piece.

CRISPR technology, which allows editing individual sections of the genome, is sometimes referred to as a possible solution. Theoretically, it really makes it possible to replace some human genes with variants characteristic of Neanderthals. However, experts emphasize that such work will not lead to the appearance of a real Neanderthal. Even if you change hundreds of genes, you will get an organism with individual ancient genetic features, and not a representative of an extinct species. In addition, scientists still do not know the functions of a significant part of Neanderthal genes, which means that it is almost impossible to predict the consequences of such changes.

Even if it becomes possible, is it worth it?

Even if we imagine that in a few decades scientists will have the technology to create an organism with a genome as close as possible to the Neanderthal, the main questions will no longer arise in the laboratory. Neanderthals differ from other extinct creatures in that they were not just a part of the distant past, but one of the branches of human evolution. These are not dinosaurs or extinct predators, which could be considered solely as a biological experiment.

Modern science already knows that the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans was much more complex than previously thought. They didn't just exist side by side for thousands of years — representatives of the two groups came into contact and left a common genetic trace to their descendants. Today, most people whose ancestors originate from regions outside Africa retain about 1-2% of their Neanderthal DNA. These genes affect a wide variety of body features, from the functioning of the immune system to adaptation to the environment.

That is why the idea of cloning a Neanderthal raises fundamentally different questions than attempts to restore extinct animals. If you create such an organism, it will not just be an object of research. It will be a living being with its own nervous system, consciousness, and the potential ability to experience emotions. The question will arise: who legally and morally will such a person be considered, will he receive the same rights as representatives of modern humanity, who will be responsible for his education, health and integration into society?

A separate problem is related to the cloning process itself. Even in the case of animals, the technology remains extremely complex: the successful birth of a cloned organism usually requires many unsuccessful attempts, since the embryos may not develop, and pregnancy may result in complications. When transferring such technologies to humans, the ethical risks become even higher. Any experiment would require the participation of a surrogate mother, who would have to carry an embryo with unknown consequences for her own health.

The history of cloning research shows that technical capability alone does not mean that an experiment will be conducted. After Dolly the sheep was born, scientists actively discussed the prospects of human cloning, but the international scientific community for the most part opposed such attempts due to the high probability of failures and serious ethical problems.

In addition, scientists point to the problem of social adaptation. Even if we imagine the technically successful birth of a Neanderthal, he would have appeared in a world to which his biology and culture have no direct connection. He would not have his own community, language, or historical experience, and the people around him might perceive him as a unique experiment rather than as an individual. It is this point that many bioethicists consider to be one of the most serious arguments against the idea.

As a result, most experts consider the possible cloning of a Neanderthal not as an immediate scientific goal, but as a thought experiment that allows us to discuss the limits of modern biology. Technology is indeed becoming more powerful, but with it the responsibility of scientists is also growing. In the case of Neanderthals, the question is "can we do this?" Almost immediately, it gives way to another question: "why do we need this and what consequences will it create?"

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Then why are scientists studying the Neanderthal genome at all?

Paradoxically, the main value of Neanderthal research today lies not at all in the possibility of ever bringing them back to life. Their genome has already changed scientists' understanding of human origins. Thanks to ancient DNA, researchers were able to prove that the history of Homo sapiens was not a direct line of development, where one species simply replaced another. In fact, different groups of ancient people coexisted for a long time, exchanged genes and influenced each other.

The work of geneticists has shown that Neanderthals were much more complex creatures than they have long been portrayed in popular culture. They created tools, used fire, took care of members of their groups, buried the dead, and had complex behaviors. DNA analysis allowed scientists to understand not only how they differed from modern humans, but also what features we inherited from them.

Each new ancient genome expands this picture. Researchers continue to find new samples of remains and improve DNA analysis methods, making the history of Neanderthals more complex. Recent work has shown that different groups of Neanderthals were not an isolated population, but part of a more dynamic history of migration, mixing, and population changes. This means that even an extinct species cannot be considered as something static — it has also changed and adapted.

And although the topic of cloning will continue to appear in science fiction and public discussions, modern science is still gaining much more knowledge by studying bones, genomes and traces of ancient people than it could gain from trying to create a single living Neanderthal. The study of an extinct species has already changed our understanding of humanity — and perhaps this is the most important "return" of Neanderthals to the modern world.