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Tasmanian Tiger Revival Moves Closer to Reality

The Tasmanian Tiger, one of the world’s most iconic extinct species, could soon be making a comeback. Known for its distinct stripes and dog-like appearance, the Tasmanian Tiger, or thylacine, once roamed Tasmania and Australia. Although the species has been gone for almost a century, modern science might bring it back to life.

Colossal Biosciences, a startup based in the United States, has made significant progress in reviving the thylacine. The team recently achieved a major breakthrough by reconstructing the Tasmanian Tiger’s genome with an impressive accuracy rate of 99.99 percent. This step brings scientists one step closer to potentially bringing the species back from extinction.

Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, emphasized the importance of this milestone. While no specific timeline has been set for the thylacine’s return, Lamm pointed out that the team is making rapid advancements across key areas of research.

The DNA used to reconstruct the genome came from a 110-year-old thylacine specimen, one of the best-preserved examples of the species. Researchers extracted long sections of DNA from the sample, allowing them to piece together a nearly complete genome. According to Dr. Andrew Pask, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Colossal Biosciences, this sample is crucial to understanding how the thylacine functioned.

Once the genome is fully reconstructed, the de-extinction process can move forward. Scientists will compare the thylacine’s genome with that of its closest living relative, the fat-tailed dunnart, to identify key genes that distinguish the two species. Using advanced gene-editing techniques like CRISPR, these critical genes will be inserted into the fat-tailed dunnart’s DNA, creating a hybrid genome with the potential to produce a new generation of Tasmanian Tigers.

The process doesn’t stop there. Cells from the fat-tailed dunnart will be turned into pluripotent stem cells—cells that can grow into any type of tissue. These cells, once combined with the hybrid DNA, will develop into embryos or fertilized eggs, which will then be implanted into a fat-tailed dunnart surrogate. If successful, the resulting offspring should be identical to the extinct thylacine.

Colossal Biosciences is already making headway in identifying genes crucial to the Tasmanian Tiger’s unique traits, such as its skull and jaw structure. By comparing the thylacine’s genome to those of wolves and dogs, researchers discovered gene regions they call “Thylacine Wolf Accelerated Regions” (TWARs). When these gene segments were tested in mice, scientists successfully altered the shape of the mice’s heads to resemble the Tasmanian Tiger’s.

This experiment is just one example of the potential Colossal’s approach holds. According to Sara Ord, Colossal’s director of species restoration, the findings represent a major step forward. Dr. Beth Shapiro, the company’s chief science officer, praised the quality of the preserved samples used in the research, calling them some of the best-preserved ancient specimens her team has ever worked with.

While the Tasmanian Tiger is still extinct for now, these scientific breakthroughs bring the world closer to seeing the species once again.