Often, however, clones die at birth. In 2003, the first extinct animal was born, a type of ibex that went extinct in 2000 (BBC). The baby died within minutes of birth due to an abnormality in the lungs, but scientists were not worried; after dissecting the baby to see what was wrong, they decided to start all over again. Despite the enormous amount of negative speculation, the practice of deextinction could potentially produce positive ramifications. According to Stewart Brand, a writer for National Geographic, humans should bring back extinct species "to preserve biodiversity, restore diminished ecosystems...and repair the damage humans have caused in the past." If humans were able to alter nature and bring back an extinct animal, previously thriving desolate ecosystems, such as desert islands, could be partially restored through their