Breakthrough Scientific Discovery Offers Hope for “Resurrecting” the Tasmanian Tiger

Behind this sinister find lie RNA molecules essential for the project of re-introduction of this animal, which has been extinct for almost a century.

The unexpected discovery of Tasmanian tiger RNA

At the bottom of a bucket of ethanol in a cupboard at the Melbourne Museum, researchers discovered a thylacine head. This unusual discovery initially seemed common, or even “putrid”, as the project leader at the TIGRR (Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research) laboratory at the University of Melbourne, Andrew Pask, described it. However, this head contained important molecules that could contribute to the project of “de-extinction” of the thylacine, more commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger.

This discovery contained long RNA molecules, which have rarely been preserved in such ancient specimens, usually only DNA sequences are found. This is valuable information which would make it possible to reconstruct with great precision certain characteristics of the animal, particularly on the functioning of its brain, such as its sense of smell or even its vision, as recalled by the British media The Guardian. A discovery described as “a miracle” by the project manager.

The thylacine reintroduction project

The thylacine reintroduction project is led by the American company Colossal. This company specializes in “de-extinction”, it also works on the resurrection of the woolly mammoth and the dodo. For this, Colossal holds $235 million in funds, and works in close collaboration with laboratories around the world, including Pask in Melbourne.

One of the current projects is to recreate the thylacine, by genetically manipulating stem cells that would have been taken from a close species, the fat-tailed dunnart, its scientific name. Sminthopsis douglasia marsupial mouse from Australia.

So far, the team has already succeeded in reconstructing an ancient genome, a crucial feat for the rest of the project. But this is still not enough to bring the animal back to life. According to the scientist, the first “thylacine-like being” could exist within three to five years, although he specifies that it will not be 100% identical to the extinct species.

As a reminder, another animal had been the subject of a de-extinction project, notably the woolly mammoth, but the latter had succeeded because there were other species very close genetically, notably the Asian elephant. .

But as a scientist from this project tells National Geographic, this is not the case for thylacine, “ he was as different as a cat is from a dog or as a horse is from a rhinoceros. There is no way we can bring this carnivorous marsupial back to life because we have all these modern genetic tools“.

Other elements to find to finalize this project

Some scientists wonder whether it is worthwhile to dedicate so many resources to the resurrection of an extinct species when other current species are in danger of extinction. But others, like Euan Ritchie, a professor of conservation at Deakin University, believe on the contrary that this project could bring important advances to the protection of endangered species.

That said, the reintroduction of a thylacine-like animal into its ecosystem raises many questions. It is now a question of knowing how it will behave in nature, or what impact it will have on the current ecosystem.

Mr. Ritchie states that it is “a challenge as important as the genetic challenge”.

So if its reintroduction does not seem to raise any questions, its adventure in the current ecosystem does.

Sources : TheGuardian, Livescience, IUCN