Scientists claim they have made a breakthrough in bringing back the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, from extinction. The thylacine was a carnivorous marsupial that was native to Tasmania, Australia, and was declared extinct in the 1930s. However, recent advancements in genetic engineering and cloning technology have given researchers hope that they may be able to resurrect this iconic animal.
The breakthrough was announced by a team of scientists from the University of Melbourne, who have been working on the project for several years. The researchers were able to extract DNA from preserved thylacine specimens and sequence its genome. Using this genetic information, they have been able to identify key genes that could be used to recreate the animal.
One of the major challenges in bringing back the thylacine is the lack of viable genetic material. The last known living thylacine died in captivity in 1936, and most preserved specimens are not in good enough condition to extract DNA from. However, the researchers believe that they may be able to use a combination of DNA from different specimens to recreate a viable genome.
The team is now working on using this genetic information to create embryos that could be implanted in a surrogate mother, potentially a closely related species such as the Tasmanian devil. If successful, the researchers hope to eventually reintroduce the thylacine back into the wild.
The news of this breakthrough has been met with both excitement and skepticism from the scientific community. While many are hopeful that this technology could be used to bring back other extinct species in the future, others are concerned about the ethical implications of resurrecting long-extinct animals.
Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding the project, the researchers remain optimistic about the potential for bringing back the Tasmanian tiger. They believe that this breakthrough could pave the way for other conservation efforts and help to preserve biodiversity for future generations.
Overall, the potential resurrection of the Tasmanian tiger represents a significant advancement in genetic engineering and conservation science. While there is still much work to be done before the thylacine can be brought back from extinction, this breakthrough offers hope for the future of endangered and extinct species.