The Tecopa pupfish was first described by Robert Rush Miller 1948. He also described other pupfish subspecies like the Amargosa River pupfish, the Ash Meadows pupfish, the Saratoga Springs pupfish, Warm Springs pupfish,, and the Shoshone pupfish. Three other species of pupfish can also be found in the Death Valley area including the Death Valley pupfish, the Devil's Hole pupfish, desert pupfish, and the Owens pupfish. The Tecopa pupfish was specially adapted to survive the temperatures in the Tecopa Hot Springs which were found in the tributaries of the Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert in California. In the 1950’s and 60’s, hot springs, bathhouses, and spas became a trendy thing to do. It was thought that the warm waters could cure many ailments. People began flocking to Tecopa. As resorts went up in the Tecopa area, people began rechanneling water from the outflow of the hotsprings. These alterations made the water in the springs even warmer which made the people celebrate. Unfortunately the water temperatures rose to a level the Tecopa pupfish couldn’t survive. The rechanneling of water also brought bluegill and western mosquitofish into the hot springs. The mosquito fish compete with the Tecopa pupfish for food, while the bluegill began eating the pupfish as food. The final obstacle for the Tecopa pupfish was hybridization with the newly diverted Amargosa River pupfish. Jed’s motel near Tecompa boasted of having some of the final Tecopa pupfish around, but closer observations of its smaller scales seemed to indicate they were in fact hybrids. On February 2, 1970 the last living Tecopa pupfish was reported. The Tecopa pupfish was listed as extinct in 1981 after a thorough survey of the hotsprings was made. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Tecopa pupfish may be a candidate if specimens can be found. If the Tecopa pupfish was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in the Tecopa Hot Springs in California? The United States has made many strides in protecting endangered species through many initiatives like the US Endangered Species Act of 1972. Since 1972, many species including the American bison, bald eagle, black-footed ferret, and grizzly bear have been saved from risk of extinction. The Devil’s hole pupfish has been a focus of monitoring and conservation efforts for over 50 years. In 2013, the population of Devil’s Hole pupfish in the pool was only 35. It has since rebounded. Many pupfish species do not do well with captive breeding efforts. This was true of the Catarina pupfish of Nuevo León, Mexico. It went extinct in 2014 when the captive breeding efforts failed. If the Tecopa pupfish was brought to life, would people welcome this lost pupfish back in the Tecopa Hot Springs in the Mojave Desert?