Scientists have announced a breakthrough in the effort to “de-extinct” the marsupial. The DNA they have is estimated to be 99.9 percent accurate. TASR informs based on the report of the Sky News portal.
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK, Andrea Izzotti
Virtual reconstruction of the Tasmanian Tiger.
The Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), popularly known as the Tasmanian tiger, is an extinct marsupial from the marsupial family. In appearance and way of life, he resembled a dog or a wolf, but has nothing in common with them. As a marsupial, it is related to, for example, kangaroos or koalas. It became extinct on September 7, 1936, when the last known individual died in the ZOO in the Australian city of Hobart. The reason for its extermination was hunting by farmers, with which it attacked herds.
But Colossal Biosciences, of Dallas, US, said the bagpiper’s recent extinction date makes it a hot candidate for an attempt to “resurrect” it. The company has previously announced plans to revive woolly mammoths, or the dodo bird. He wants to take advantage of advances in gene editing and reproductive biology.
Most attempts to reconstruct the genetic code of long-extinct animals fail due to the fragility of DNA, as its molecules break down over time.
However, the fact that the marsupial wolf became extinct only recently could help scientists. A 108-year-old specimen of a Tasmanian tiger is preserved in alcohol by the Melbourne Museum. Scientists took a sample from it, from which they managed to obtain a DNA sequence, which, according to them, is 99.9 percent identical to the original.
“This new resource will allow us to find out what the marsupial was able to detect through smell, taste and sight, as well as the functioning of its brain,” said Professor Andrew Pask from the University of Melbourne, who is involved in the project.
However, obtaining the bagworm’s genes is only the first step to bringing it back to life. Colossal is trying to bring back the marsupial by editing the genes of its closest relative. This is the thick-tailed shrew (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), which is about the size of a hamster. By editing her genes, Colossal tries to create a creature that will be the most faithful copy of the marsupial.
However, the company’s plan also has its opponents. Some conservationists say the millions of dollars invested by companies like Colossus would be better spent saving the habitats of animals currently at risk of extinction – a category that includes up to a fifth of Australia’s native mammal species.
Voices are also heard, according to which it is unethical to strive for the return of animals to an environment so significantly degraded by humans that these animals may no longer be able to survive there.
The last group of opponents are scientists, who consider the whole process almost a fairy tale, because it is too technically demanding. However, they are opposed by others, according to whom even an unsuccessful attempt can be useful. It can bring new knowledge about long-extinct species and DNA preservation for future generations of researchers.
Source: vat.pravda.sk
