Scientists say the breakthrough, which marks the first time RNA molecules have been isolated and decoded from an extinct species, paves the way for its revival one day.
Rare footage from 1935 shows the last surviving Tasmanian tiger
Before being hunted to extinction, thylacines were found in Tasmania off the southern coast of Australia.
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Tasmanian tigers were hunted to extinction decades ago, but recent scientific advances have raised hope that the animal and other long-lost species could one day be revived.
Scientists were recently able to recover and sequence RNA from a nearly 130-year-old Tasmanian tiger, also known as a thylacine, preserved in a museum in Stockholm. The feat represents the first time RNA molecules have been isolated and decoded from an extinct species, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal. Genome research.
It may sound like a plot taken from the movie Jurassic Park, but the implications of the study are not mere fantasy: scientists are now one step closer to reviving not only the Tasmanian tiger, but perhaps other extinct species in the future.
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Tasmanian tigers have been extinct for decades
Tasmanian tigers were a large carnivorous marsupial that experts say became extinct about 80 years ago.
This animal was found on the island of Tasmania, off the southern coast of Australia, and had distinctive dark lines extending from its shoulders to its tail, in addition to a dog-like head with strong jaws and a pouch, according to Reuters. Australian Museum.
At one time, the Tasmanian tiger was widely distributed throughout the continent of Australia before it became confined to the island of Tasmania as the time for its elimination approached. These animals preyed on kangaroos and other marsupials, in addition to rodents and small birds.
But the predators were no match for humans, and European colonists began hunting the species in the late 19th century until they eventually became extinct to prevent the animals from killing livestock, according to the Australian Museum.
A short clip discovered and digitized in 2020 shows what is believed to be the last remaining Tasmanian tiger living in captivity recorded in 1935. The clip, released by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, shows a tiger named Benjamin wandering into a now-closed enclosure. Zoo about a year before his death.
Although eight sightings of the extinct marsupial have been reported to the Tasmanian Government in recent years, none have been verified or verified.
How scientists hope to revive long-lost species
The concept of de-extinction isn’t just limited to the world of science fiction series like Jurassic Park.
Although this is not the goal of the latest study, the researchers said that a better understanding of the genetic makeup of the Tasmanian tiger could pave the way for its reintroduction.
This is where RNA comes into play.
Structurally similar to DNA, genetic material is present in all living cells and is used to transmit information from the genome to the rest of the cell about what it should do. In other words, RNA molecules are responsible for converting genetic instructions from DNA into cellular function.
The Tasmanian tiger specimen that the researchers chose to examine was preserved at room temperature at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. After taking three skeletal muscle samples and three skin tissue samples, the team succeeded in extracting millions of strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA).
By studying the threads, researchers will be able to learn more about the biology of extinct species.
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What extinct species have scientists tried to restore?
This is not the first time scientists have expressed hope that the Tasmanian tiger and other species previously thought to be lost forever could be revived.
In 2021, Large laboratories and biological sciences It was launched for the express purpose of using gene editing to resurrect the famous woolly mammoth. The research aims to reprogram elephant DNA with mammoth characteristics, such as thick hair and layers of fat, to help the hybrid animals survive in the Siberian tundra.
It wasn’t just vanity, though, as the Colossal team hoped to revive the ancient giant: if mammoths could be created, the researchers believed, they could revitalize Arctic grasslands.
Since then, the genetic engineering company has also revealed its intentions to research ways to revive the dodo, and even the Tasmanian tiger. By using gene editing technology on the tiger genome to create an embryo, the team hopes to eventually recreate the Tasmanian tiger on the island of Tasmania.
“I now believe that within ten years we could have the first living baby thylacine since it was hunted to extinction nearly a century ago,” Professor Andrew Pask, who oversees the TIGRR laboratory, said last year. Description of the project on the university website.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Shantou University in China also revealed plans last year to revive a smaller mammal, the Christmas Island mouse.
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Eric Lagata covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Contact him at [email protected]
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