US Company Takes First Step Towards 'Reviving' Woolly Mammoth

united states - Colossal Biosciences in the US aims to bring back the mammoth using advanced DNA technology, starting with a woolly mouse.

US Company Aims to Revive Mammoth

Colossal Biosciences dreams of bringing back the mammoth using DNA technology. They have created a mini-mammoth-like mouse as a first step towards this ambitious goal. Co-founder Ben Lamm calls it a significant validation point.

The researchers edited nine genes affecting coat color, hair length, and pattern in mouse embryos, resulting in some mice developing long, woolly hair. Two of these genes were previously found in mammoths. The next logical step would be experimenting on elephants, as they are in the same family as mammoths, but this poses greater challenges.

Paleontologist Victoria Herridge highlights the complexity of constructing mammoth-like elephants due to the many unknown genes involved. Lovell-Badge from Francis Crick Institute questions the genetic modifications' impact on behavior and suggests focusing on preventing extinctions rather than reviving extinct species.