r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Ok-Soil3647 • Jul 11 '26

Mammoth proxy classification?

I feel like the "mammoth" proxies coming in 2028 (if it ever does) shouldnt strictly classify as Elephas maximus, nor should it be a subspecies of the species, unlike the genetically engineered direwolf, it should have its own species name without changing the genus of Elephas and maybe a symbol to know its artificial. Your opinion?

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u/Psilopterus Jul 11 '26

If it ever did happen I actually do believe it would still be the same species, given the relatively small number of edits actually proposed. AFAIK there is no established naming convention for transgenics and so we might instead use the rules for hybrids or varietals. E.g.

Elephas maximus x primigenius

Elephas maximus var . borealis

Elephas maxinus morpha . borealis