Scientists Are Eyeing Tasmanian Tigers for an Extinction Comeback — After Bringing Back Dire Wolves

Scientists have successfully mapped the genome of the Tasmanian tiger, an extinct marsupial native to Australia that was last seen in its natural habitat in 1936.

The discovery, a collaboration between U.S. biotech company Colossal Bioscience and the University of Melbourne, could have the Tasmanian Tiger revived in as little as eight years, 9 News reported.

“We’ve been able to sequence the entire thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger genome now, absolutely every single bit of code from one end to the other of the genome,” Lead scientist Professor Andrew Pask told the outlet.

“We’ve been able to make the first really key stem cells that we can do this whole genetic engineering process that we need to recreate the thylacine,” he added.

Tasmanian Thylacine Advisory Committee chair Derwent Valley Mayor Michelle Dracoulis told 9 News, “The thylacine is not just an animal where I come from, it’s part of the identity of the people that live there.”

The research announcement comes after Colossal Bioscience similarly managed to revive the extinct dire wolf earlier this year. The company unveiled three fluffy dire wolf pups, named Romulus, Remus and Khalessi. The species of wolves was notably featured in hit show Game of Thrones.

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