If a small group of animals with no connection to other groups die out due to lack of diversity (the wrangle island mammoths), isn’t saving critically endangered species pointless?

Question

If a small group of animals with no connection to other groups die out due to lack of diversity (the wrangle island mammoths), isn’t saving critically endangered species pointless?

In: Biology

Answer 1

I think part of the thinking behind preserving endangered species of plants and animals is that we don’t (and can’t) actually fully know and understand their usefulness.

It’s like burning books in a genetic library… yeah maybe a lot of them were dumb books, but you’re still left with fewer original ideas than you started with.