14 extinct animals that could be resurrected

Can lost species ever become un-extinct? In the 1993 science fiction film "Jurassic Park," dinosaurs are cloned back to life after their DNA is discovered still intact within the bellies of ancient mosquitoes that were preserved in amber. While the science of cloning is still in its infancy, many scientists now believe it's only a matter of time before many extinct animals again walk the Earth.

 

To successfully clone an extinct animal, scientists need to find animal DNA that is almost entirely intact, so some species will make better candidates for resurrection than others. For instance, recently extinct animals that have been preserved in museums make good candidates, as do ancient animals that were preserved in permafrost during the last ice age.

 

Because of the sheer amount of time that has passed, dinosaurs make unlikely candidates. While a real-life Jurassic Park is probably best reserved for the imagination, a real life Pleistocene Park, well, that's another story. Here's our list of 14 extinct animals that could be resurrected, thanks to cloning.  Click on any of the photos above to see what animals might be coming back.