This week noticed the discharge of some fascinating information about some very furry rodents—so-called “woolly mice”—created as a part of an experiment to discover how we’d at some point resurrect the woolly mammoth.
The concept of bringing again extinct species has gained traction because of advances in sequencing of historical DNA. This historical genetic knowledge is deepening our understanding of the previous—as an example, by shedding mild on interactions amongst prehistoric people. However researchers have gotten extra bold. Fairly than simply studying historical DNA, they wish to use it—by inserting it into residing organisms.
As a result of this concept is so new and attracting a lot consideration, I made a decision it will be helpful to create a report of earlier makes an attempt so as to add extinct DNA to residing organisms. And for the reason that expertise doesn’t have a reputation, let’s give it one: “chronogenics.” Learn the total story.
—Antonio Regalado
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In the event you’re inquisitive about de-extinction, why not try:
+ How a lot would you pay to see a woolly mammoth? We spoke to Sara Ord, director of species restoration at Colossal, the world’s first “de-extinction” firm, about its large ambitions.
+ Colossal can also be a de-extinction firm, which is attempting to resurrect the dodo. Learn the total story.
+ DNA that was frozen for two million years has been sequenced. The traditional DNA fragments come from a Greenland ecosystem the place mastodons roamed amongst flowering vegetation. It could maintain clues to how you can survive a warming local weather.
