Genome Breakthrough Brings Scientists One Step Closer to Reviving Extinct Thylacine
Scientists are now one step closer to reviving the thylacine, thanks to key advances in genomic and reproductive technology that also provide hope for protecting endangered living marsupials.
Colossal Biosciences, a company involved in creating de-extinction technologies, says it has nearly completed reconstructing the thylacine genome, thanks in part to a serendipitous discovery that the company says helped to advance its research into reviving the enigmatic species.
The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was a marsupial resembling a canine believed to have gone extinct in 1935 due to human overhunting. Unlike the cautionary tale presented in Jurassic Park, experts believe the thylacine could be returned to its former ecosystem with relative safety.
Two years ago, Colossal announced its “de-extinction” project aiming to revive the creature. The company also focuses on the mammoth and preserving endangered species that are not extinct.
One of the company’s latest breakthroughs on the project owes much to luck. Last year, a thylacine head preserved in ethanol was discovered hidden away in a cupboard in a Melbourne museum. Crucially, the soft tissues of the 110-year-old sample were well maintained.
Generally, long sequences of DNA break down shortly after death, yet, in this case, tissue preservation was so thorough that rare and delicate genetic material survived for over a century. Notably, the rare RNA preserved on this unique specimen varies by tissue, and a complete head presented RNA from various parts, such as the eyes and tongue.
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