Today, the gene jockeys at Colossal Biosciences introduced us to the woolly mouse, a extra-bushy rodent they say is the first step toward using biotechnology to bring back the extinct woolly mammoth. Along with its notable shag, the mouse has other mammoth traits such as its color and ability to deal with cold temperatures.
From Scientific American:
What was the purpose of this feat of genetic engineering? Colossal's pitch is that, with biodiversity going the way of the dodo (which the company also hopes to resurrect), saving existing species will require tweaking their DNA to make them more resilient. The researchers at the company also claim that bringing back extinct species can help the environment. For example, they say that mammoths can help fight climate change by tamping down Arctic permafrost, reducing how much of it is thawing and releasing methane into the atmosphere. Company co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm puts the approach in startling terms: "Why leave nature to chance?" In pursuit of such "de-extinction" goals, Colossal has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from everyone from celebrities to the CIA.
Some paleontologists and conservationists are unsurprisingly skeptical of this kind of de-extinction.
We're looking at a warming world, and [Colossal's researchers] want to bring back creatures that are adapted to the cold?" says National Museums Scotland paleontologist Elsa Panciroli. "I study animals from the past, and they should stay in the past. Lack of habitat, human conflict, agriculture, climate change—the idea that they can fix that with gene editing is missing the big picture."
Previously:
• Wooly mammoths to be reborn by 2027, says biotech firm
• Meet Yana, the well-preserved 50,000-year-old baby mammoth, just unveiled in Russia
• A company that aims to revive the woolly mammoth raised $15 million
• The CIA's venture capital firm just backed Woolly Mammoth cloning
