The Tasmanian tiger or its scientific name tylacine is believed to have been extinct since 1936 when the last animal died at the Zoo. This marsupial animal was hunted to extinction in Australia because it hunted livestock. After almost 100 years of extinction, scientists from Australia and the United States want to bring it back to the world.
Scientists from Colossal Biosciences and the University of Melbourne's TIGRR Laboratory will try to bring back the tylacine through stem cell techniques and gene editing. Genes from a marsupial species very similar to the thylacine will be used for this purpose. If successful, scientists would like to reintroduce it to the wild habitat within 10 years to restore the balance of the ecosystem.
Previously, Colossal also announced that they are in the process of bringing back the mammoth elephants that became extinct over 10,000 years ago. Their announcement was criticized by the scientific community who felt it was not only impossible but problematic because the habitats of these two extinct animals no longer exist.
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