<p>Tasmanian tiger, a marsupial apex predator, went extinct nearly a century ago. Now, scientists are closer than ever to reviving the animal through genome sequencing in a process similar to the fictional revival of dinosaurs in <em>Jurassic Park</em>.</p>

<p>The carnivore's genome has been reconstructed with 99.9% accuracy, the&nbsp;latest breakthrough in the years-long 'de-extinction' project.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are only 45 gaps left to fill in the genome sequencing, which was made possible from a chance discovery of a head of the animal pickled in a jar in Australia some 110 years ago.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Gravitas: Scientists extract RNA from extinct Tasmanian tiger</strong></p>

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<p>Behind this mammoth task (pardon the pun) is Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based firm that is also in the process of reviving the woolly mammoth and the dodo, a flightless bird that also went extinct over a century ago.</p>

<h2><strong>What happened to tasmanian tiger? An icon of extinction</strong></h2>

<p>The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine roamed the forests of Tasmania in Australia from where it takes its name.</p>

<p>Once a critical link in the ecosystem of Tasmania,&nbsp;they officially went extinct in 1936 after the last animal died at&nbsp;Beaumaris Zoo in Tasmania's Hobart.</p>

<p>Colossal teased that a major update is coming soon on the revival of the animal,&nbsp;whose scientific name is Thylacinus cynocephalus,</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">At <a href="https://twitter.com/sxswsydney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sxswsydney</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/AJ_Pask?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AJ_Pask</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/Hemsdog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hemsdog</a> sharing an update on our thylacine de-extinction project 🐅<br />
<br />
When an apex predator goes extinct, it has a cascading effect on the ecosystem. Prey populations go unchecked, diseases run rampant, plant life suffers—everything is thrown… <a href="https://t.co/ob8tP0A5lN">pic.twitter.com/ob8tP0A5lN</a></p>
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) <a href="https://twitter.com/colossal/status/1847044711070003532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-woolly-mammoth-go-extinct-because-of-a-blocked-nose-study-says-they-did-764159"><strong>Also read: Did woolly mammoth go extinct because of a blocked nose? Study says they did</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>A miracle in the making: How a head pickled in a jar could bring back extinct Tasmanian tiger </strong></h2>

<p>The Tasmanian tiger head recovered from the jar in Australia still had RNA molecules, which is crucial for rebuilding the genome. Using samples from the head, most of the DNA of the animal has been sequenced along with strands of RNA.</p>

<p>It was nothing short of a miracle, according to scientists involved in the project who spoke to media.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-jurassic-park-style-extinct-dodo-to-be-revived-scientists-say-667977">Also read: In 'Jurassic Park' style, extinct flightless bird dodo to be revived. Scientists say...</a></strong><br />
<br />
“This was the miracle that happened with this specimen. It blew my mind,” said&nbsp;Prof Andrew Pask, the head of the thylacine integrated genetic restoration research or Tigrr lab at the University of Melbourne.</p>

<p>“It was literally a head in a bucket of ethanol in the back of a cupboard that had just been dumped there with all the skin removed, and been sitting there for about 110 years,” The Guardian quoted Pask as saying. “It was pretty putrid, a completely gruesome sight. People had chopped large chunks off it.”&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Genome sequencing: A method of 'de-extinction' of the world's lost species?</strong></h2>

<p>“You absolutely can get a phenomenal genome from old samples,” Pesk told LiveScience.</p>

<p>DNA is the genetic material that is the fundamental building block of life. A genome is a full set of DNA that gives the unique charecteristsic to each organism. Genome contains the chemical information for development, growth and functioning of living beings.<br />
<br />
As Pesk puts it, genomes provide 'the full blueprint for de-extincting this species'.</p>

<p>Getting the complete genome sequencing at very high quality is a huge help to the efforts to revive extinct species, he said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Tasmanian tiger, a marsupial apex predator, went extinct nearly a century ago. Now, scientists are closer than ever to reviving the animal through genome sequencing in a process similar to the fictional revival of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Tasmanian tiger, a marsupial apex predator, went extinct nearly a century ago. Now, scientists are closer than ever to reviving the animal through genome sequencing in a process similar to the fictional revival of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The carnivore's genome has been reconstructed with 99.9% accuracy, the latest breakthrough in the years-long 'de-extinction' project. There are only 45 gaps left to fill in the genome sequencing, which was made possible from a chance discovery of a head of the animal pickled in a jar in Australia some 110 years ago. Watch: Gravitas: Scientists extract RNA from extinct Tasmanian tiger × Behind this mammoth task (pardon the pun) is Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based firm that is also in the process of reviving the woolly mammoth and the dodo, a flightless bird that also went extinct over a century ago. What happened to tasmanian tiger? An icon of extinction The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine roamed the forests of Tasmania in Australia from where it takes its name. Once a critical link in the ecosystem of Tasmania, they officially went extinct in 1936 after the last animal died at Beaumaris Zoo in Tasmania's Hobart. Colossal teased that a major update is coming soon on the revival of the animal, whose scientific name is Thylacinus cynocephalus, At @sxswsydney with @AJ_Pask, and @Hemsdog sharing an update on our thylacine de-extinction project 🐅 When an apex predator goes extinct, it has a cascading effect on the ecosystem. Prey populations go unchecked, diseases run rampant, plant life suffers—everything is thrown… pic.twitter.com/ob8tP0A5lN — Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) October 17, 2024 × Also read: Did woolly mammoth go extinct because of a blocked nose? Study says they did A miracle in the making: How a head pickled in a jar could bring back extinct Tasmanian tiger The Tasmanian tiger head recovered from the jar in Australia still had RNA molecules, which is crucial for rebuilding the genome. Using samples from the head, most of the DNA of the animal has been sequenced along with strands of RNA. It was nothing short of a miracle, according to scientists involved in the project who spoke to media. Also read: In 'Jurassic Park' style, extinct flightless bird dodo to be revived. Scientists say... “This was the miracle that happened with this specimen. It blew my mind,” said Prof Andrew Pask, the head of the thylacine integrated genetic restoration research or Tigrr lab at the University of Melbourne. “It was literally a head in a bucket of ethanol in the back of a cupboard that had just been dumped there with all the skin removed, and been sitting there for about 110 years,” The Guardian quoted Pask as saying. “It was pretty putrid, a completely gruesome sight. People had chopped large chunks off it.” Genome sequencing: A method of 'de-extinction' of the world's lost species? “You absolutely can get a phenomenal genome from old samples,” Pesk told LiveScience. DNA is the genetic material that is the fundamental building block of life. A genome is a full set of DNA that gives the unique charecteristsic to each organism. Genome contains the chemical information for development, growth and functioning of living beings. As Pesk puts it, genomes provide 'the full blueprint for de-extincting this species'. Getting the complete genome sequencing at very high quality is a huge help to the efforts to revive extinct species, he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Tasmanian tiger that went extinct may come back soon, thanks to a head in a bucket of ethanol

<p>Scientists are working to resurrect the woolly mammoth and it could happen in as less as four years. The ice age beast that went extinct might walk the Earth once again soon, a company backed by Paris Hilton and Chris Hemsworth, said.</p>

<p>Colossal Biosciences calls itself “the world’s first de-extinction company,” and is developing a method to revive “core” genes from animals that have been extinct for thousands of years. This includes not only the woolly mammoth but also the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger, The Independent reported.</p>

<p>“We have set a date of late 2028 for our first mammoth and we are on track for that currently, which is great,” the CEO of the company, Ben Lamm, told the Independent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lamm told Daily Mail that the entire process is like a “reverse Jurassic Park”.</p>

<p>According to The Intercept, the company has raised more than $235 million, thanks to its celebrity backers. PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel and motivational speaker Tony Robbins are pumping money into the company, besides the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to the report.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-woolly-mammoth-go-extinct-because-of-a-blocked-nose-study-says-they-did-764159">Did woolly mammoth go extinct because of a blocked nose? Study says they did</a></strong></p>

<p>Lamm added that mammoths have a 22-month gestation period, which means another species might return before it does.</p>

<p>“But given the other species have much shorter gestation, it is highly likely that we will see another species before the mammoth.”</p>

<p>His eyes are set on the dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger for an early revival. Notably, the Tasmanian tiger went extinct in the early 1980s, while the dodo bird was last seen in the 1600s. The former can be revived in just weeks, while the dodo will take about one month, according to Lamm.</p>

<p>He believes that "it is highly likely we will have a species before 2028", and it will be one of the three.</p>

<p>The woolly mammoth has not been around for over 4,000 years. However, it shares 99.5 per cent of its genes with the Asian elephant. The company is using gene editing and fusing stem cells with an Asian elephant egg.</p>

<p>According to a statement on the company's site, the resurrected mammoth will be “more specifically a cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth."</p>

<p>“It will walk like a woolly mammoth, look like one, sound like one," he said.</p>

<p>The company claims that the return of the mammoth can help the environment, by reversing global warming. "It could help in reversing the rapid warming of the climate and more pressingly, protect the Arctic’s permafrost," the company says.</p>


Scientists are working to resurrect the woolly mammoth and it could happen in as less as four years. The ice age beast that went extinct might walk the Earth once again soon, a company backed by Paris Hilton and Chris Hemsworth, said.

Scientists are working to resurrect the woolly mammoth and it could happen in as less as four years. The ice age beast that went extinct might walk the Earth once again soon, a company backed by Paris Hilton and Chris Hemsworth, said. Colossal Biosciences calls itself “the world’s first de-extinction company,” and is developing a method to revive “core” genes from animals that have been extinct for thousands of years. This includes not only the woolly mammoth but also the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger, The Independent reported. “We have set a date of late 2028 for our first mammoth and we are on track for that currently, which is great,” the CEO of the company, Ben Lamm, told the Independent. Lamm told Daily Mail that the entire process is like a “reverse Jurassic Park”. According to The Intercept, the company has raised more than $235 million, thanks to its celebrity backers. PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel and motivational speaker Tony Robbins are pumping money into the company, besides the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to the report. Also Read: Did woolly mammoth go extinct because of a blocked nose? Study says they did Lamm added that mammoths have a 22-month gestation period, which means another species might return before it does. “But given the other species have much shorter gestation, it is highly likely that we will see another species before the mammoth.” His eyes are set on the dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger for an early revival. Notably, the Tasmanian tiger went extinct in the early 1980s, while the dodo bird was last seen in the 1600s. The former can be revived in just weeks, while the dodo will take about one month, according to Lamm. He believes that "it is highly likely we will have a species before 2028", and it will be one of the three. The woolly mammoth has not been around for over 4,000 years. However, it shares 99.5 per cent of its genes with the Asian elephant. The company is using gene editing and fusing stem cells with an Asian elephant egg. According to a statement on the company's site, the resurrected mammoth will be “more specifically a cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth." “It will walk like a woolly mammoth, look like one, sound like one," he said. The company claims that the return of the mammoth can help the environment, by reversing global warming. "It could help in reversing the rapid warming of the climate and more pressingly, protect the Arctic’s permafrost," the company says.

Chris Hemsworth-backed company plans to revive woolly mammoth by 2028

<p>The effort to revive extinct dodo bird in a rather "Jurassic Park" style has picked up renewed momentum after a US-based genetic engineering company managed to garner a $150mn investment to bring back the dodo on our planet.</p>

<p>The flightless dodo, originally discovered on the island of Mauritius in 1598, faced extinction within 80 years due to factors such as hunting, deforestation, and the introduction of invasive species.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/dumb-as-a-dodo-cliche-might-just-lose-its-glimmer-557879">'Dumb as a dodo' cliche might just lose its glimmer as scientists are trying to revive extinct bird</a></strong></p>

<p>Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences, known for its pursuit of de-extinction projects including the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger, has deemed the dodo an ideal candidate for resurrection.</p>

<p>For decades, dodo has been understood as a symbol of man-made extinction and a stark reminder of the consequences of human carelessness on the diversity of life we see on our planet.</p>

<h2><strong>Dodo's revival: What is the status?</strong></h2>

<p>The sequencing the entire genome of the dodo, along with its extinct relative, the <em>Rodrigues solitaire</em>, and the living Nicobar pigeon — the dodo's closest relative — has been done.</p>

<p>Colossal's strategy involves comparing the dodo and solitaire genomes with that of the Nicobar pigeon, identifying differences, and modifying Nicobar pigeon to mirror the traits of dodo.</p>

<p>These altered primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the potentially modified Nicobar pigeon&nbsp;would be introduced into sterile chicken and rooster embryos, with the aim of producing adult birds that can reproduce and resemble the extinct dodo.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: What's the story of the Dodo?</strong></p>

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<p>"Physically, the restored dodo will be indiscernible from what we know of the dodo’s appearance,"&nbsp;Matt James, Colossal's chief animal officer, said in an official statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In collaboration with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Colossal is exploring potential relocation sites for the revived dodos and assessing their impact on the local ecosystem.</p>

<p>Challenges such as human interference and predation by invasive species are anticipated.</p>

<p>Dodo back on our planet holds the potential of restoring local ecosystems&nbsp;in Mauritius by aiding in the dispersal of large-seed fruits.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The effort to revive extinct dodo bird in a rather "Jurassic Park" style has picked up renewed momentum after a US-based genetic engineering company managed to garner a $150mn investment to bring back the dodo on our planet.

The effort to revive extinct dodo bird in a rather "Jurassic Park" style has picked up renewed momentum after a US-based genetic engineering company managed to garner a $150mn investment to bring back the dodo on our planet. The flightless dodo, originally discovered on the island of Mauritius in 1598, faced extinction within 80 years due to factors such as hunting, deforestation, and the introduction of invasive species. Also read | 'Dumb as a dodo' cliche might just lose its glimmer as scientists are trying to revive extinct bird Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences, known for its pursuit of de-extinction projects including the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger, has deemed the dodo an ideal candidate for resurrection. For decades, dodo has been understood as a symbol of man-made extinction and a stark reminder of the consequences of human carelessness on the diversity of life we see on our planet. Dodo's revival: What is the status? The sequencing the entire genome of the dodo, along with its extinct relative, the Rodrigues solitaire, and the living Nicobar pigeon — the dodo's closest relative — has been done. Colossal's strategy involves comparing the dodo and solitaire genomes with that of the Nicobar pigeon, identifying differences, and modifying Nicobar pigeon to mirror the traits of dodo. These altered primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the potentially modified Nicobar pigeon would be introduced into sterile chicken and rooster embryos, with the aim of producing adult birds that can reproduce and resemble the extinct dodo. Also watch | Gravitas: What's the story of the Dodo? × "Physically, the restored dodo will be indiscernible from what we know of the dodo’s appearance," Matt James, Colossal's chief animal officer, said in an official statement. In collaboration with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Colossal is exploring potential relocation sites for the revived dodos and assessing their impact on the local ecosystem. Challenges such as human interference and predation by invasive species are anticipated. Dodo back on our planet holds the potential of restoring local ecosystems in Mauritius by aiding in the dispersal of large-seed fruits. (With inputs from agencies)

In 'Jurassic Park' style, extinct flightless bird dodo to be revived. Scientists say...

The dodo was last seen in the 17th century. A billion-dollar startup wants to bring back the extinct bird. How? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: What's the story of the Dodo?

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