【科技日报】古DNA缺失，恐龙能否拿到“复活门票”

Core Viewpoint - The revival of dinosaurs through scientific means has gained public interest, with discussions on whether modern technology can bridge the 66 million-year gap since their extinction [3] Group 1: Advances in Synthetic Biology - Scientists are exploring synthetic biology as a new approach to "revive" dinosaurs by decoding the genetic codes behind their traits rather than relying on ancient DNA [4] - The phenotype of each species, including physical appearance and behavior, is linked to specific genetic codes, which can be studied to recreate dinosaur-like features in existing species [4] - Techniques such as the "gene puzzle" developed by MIT in 2025 allow researchers to edit genes in bird embryos to induce dinosaur-like characteristics, demonstrating the potential of synthetic biology [4] Group 2: Challenges in Genetic Reconstruction - Despite advancements, significant gaps in the dinosaur genome remain, making it difficult to fully reconstruct their genetic makeup [5][6] - The degradation of DNA over time poses a major challenge, as the half-life of DNA is approximately 500 years under ideal conditions, making it nearly impossible to retrieve intact dinosaur DNA from fossils [7] - Current findings of fragmented DNA and proteins from fossils are insufficient to reconstruct a complete dinosaur genome, leading to the conclusion that any resulting organism would not be a true dinosaur but rather a hybrid with limited dinosaur traits [7][8] Group 3: Environmental and Technical Barriers - Even if genetic editing challenges are overcome, there are significant hurdles in finding suitable carriers for dinosaur embryos and creating appropriate environments for their development [8] - The lack of technology to support the growth of large dinosaur embryos in artificial environments presents a major obstacle [8] - Additionally, even if a dinosaur were successfully hatched, it would likely struggle to survive in the drastically changed modern environment, which has evolved significantly since the time of dinosaurs [8]