SHANGHAI: Palaeontologists at a Shanghai symposium say the dream of bringing dinosaurs back to life may not be just science fiction forever,
China Daily reported.
Over 20 of the world’s top fossil experts gathered at the four-day “China’s Dinosaurs: From Research to Science Education” symposium to discuss whether bones and bytes could one day combine to hatch a Jurassic comeback.
They agreed that, while the odds of reviving a real Tyrannosaurus rex are slim today, AI and genetic science could one day make a look-alike roar again within a couple of centuries.
Professor Xu Xing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reminded the crowd that ancient DNA degrades too quickly for a true resurrection, but fragments of protein still whisper clues from fossilised bones.
He said scientists are now chasing those molecular hints with tools borrowed from synthetic biology and gene editing to build creatures that might mimic their prehistoric cousins.
British palaeobiologist Professor Emily Rayfield added that artificial intelligence is already transforming how researchers decode fossils, from body temperature analysis to movement modelling.
Museum director Ni Minjing said the real challenge lies less in technology and more in ethics, warning that just because we can bring back a raptor does not mean we should.
Beyond the futuristic chatter, experts hailed China’s fossil record as the envy of the world, with discoveries that have rewritten the story of evolution from reptiles to birds.
Nearly a third of all known dinosaur species now hail from Chinese soil, with famous finds like Anchiornis and Caihong proving that many ancient beasts were feathered and fabulous.
As visitors continue to flock to the “China Dinosaur World” exhibition in Shanghai, the scientists’ message was clear - before we resurrect the dinosaurs, we should make sure we’ve learned enough from the bones they left behind.
