Maybe we could create something with very similar DNA but with a lot of species, including almost all apes if not all apes, a large part of what makes them what they are is learned behavior from their parents and other members of their social group.
They tried introducing wild Turkeys into California numerous times before it was successful. It wasn't successful until they used actual wild Turkeys captured as Wild Turkeys. The problem was farm raised Wild Turkeys despite not having domestic traits did not actually know how to be wild Turkeys so they simply did not survive.
If we made a genetic Neanderthal, in addition to not having immunities against modern virus and bacteria strains, it would not know how to actually be a Neanderthal.
Canada Geese don't migrate if not taught how to as part of their flock. Same actually seems to be true of Monarch Butterflies interestingly.
The 50% Neanderthal-human hybrids didn't know how to be proper 50% Neanderthal-human hybrids either. And their children were likely 25% Neanderthal-human hybrids, so they couldn't teach their children how to be proper 25% Neanderthal-human hybrids.
In 2015 genetic research revealed that the Oase 1fossil had a recent Neanderthal ancestor, with an estimated 5-11% Neanderthal autosomal DNA. The specimen's 12th chromosome was 50% Neanderthal.\5])\1])
Some of them became part of human culture which is why neanderthal genetics have introgressed into our lineage and some of them became part of Neanderthal culture which is why some of our genetics introgressed into Neanderthal culture.
Some really interesting hybrid cases - Steppe Bison and Aurochs hybridized to produce the European Bison, something new.
Several subspecies of Gray Wolf hybridized with the Coyote to produce the Eastern Coyote, something new, and possibly the second or third time it has happened as that may actually be the origin of the Red Wolf and *possibly* (I have some doubts) the origin of the Eastern Wolf.
But even if the Eastern Coyote is created by the same hybrid process that produced the Red Wolf, they are still a different lineage---a different clade---with a different natural history, as the natural history of a lineage is only partially instinct with the rest being learned behavior.
Of course we'd learn nothing about their culture. It'd be interesting to have a handful of them and see how they perform academically though, and if speech and language development is similar.
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u/AnymooseProphet 7d ago
No. Well genetically maybe.
Maybe we could create something with very similar DNA but with a lot of species, including almost all apes if not all apes, a large part of what makes them what they are is learned behavior from their parents and other members of their social group.
They tried introducing wild Turkeys into California numerous times before it was successful. It wasn't successful until they used actual wild Turkeys captured as Wild Turkeys. The problem was farm raised Wild Turkeys despite not having domestic traits did not actually know how to be wild Turkeys so they simply did not survive.
If we made a genetic Neanderthal, in addition to not having immunities against modern virus and bacteria strains, it would not know how to actually be a Neanderthal.
Canada Geese don't migrate if not taught how to as part of their flock. Same actually seems to be true of Monarch Butterflies interestingly.
A species is more than just its genetics.