Australian scientists plan to clone extinct Tasmanian tiger

Hindustan Times ^ | May 15, 2005

[nickcarraway]

Australian researchers are reviving a project to bring an extinct animal known as the Tasmanian tiger back from the dead through cloning.

Three months after the Australian Museum shelved plans to clone the tiger -- also known as a thylacine -- a group of universities and a research institute are planning to revive the project, the Sun-Herald newspaper reported.

Mike Archer, dean of science at the University of New South Wales, was quoted as saying that researchers from NSW and Victoria states were likely to join the programme, which involves recovering DNA from a pup preserved in 1866 to breed a living specimen.

"A group of institutions is involved in moving ahead with creating new ways of getting the thylacine project back on track," he was quoted as saying, adding he would like his own university involved.

The Tasmanian tiger, a dog-like creature christened for its striped pelt, was hunted into extinction because it was seen as a threat to livestock.

The last known specimen died in Hobart zoo in 1936 but there have been thousands of unconfirmed sightings since then.

When the museum abandoned its own cloning bid, it said the quality of the DNA had been too degraded to work with.

[AntiGuv]

Hmm.. It sounds as if the revival will be brief if the pups have nothing to mate with..

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Van Diemens Land is a beautiful place.

Good luck to the scientists.

[LegendHasIt]

I thought I read just a few months ago that they found a small group of them still living somewhere in that general region ?????

[wolficatZ]

[Simmy2.5]

Well, from my understanding, and from what the article says, there have been many sightings after the last official Tasmanian Tiger died, but none have been confirmed. So, until further notice, the Tasmanian Tiger is extinct.

As for their attempt to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger, more power to them. Although how successful they are, and what will the Tasmanian Tiger be like is another question, I still see nothing wrong with it. It isn't like they are trying to bring back an animal that has been extinct WAY before humans arrived (coughdinosaurscough).

[djf]

There have been quite a few supposed sightings. Considering how wild parts of Aus, NZ, and Borneo are I would not be surprised at all if it still survives.

[knarf]

"The Tasmanian tiger, a dog-like creature christened for its striped pelt, was hunted into extinction because it was seen as a threat to livestock."

From the looks of it ... that vision may have been more correct than not.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I wonder if they can do that with the dodo bird ? or other animals that have become ex-stint in the last 200- 300 years ?

[WL-law]

I thought I read just a few months ago that they found a small group of them still living somewhere in that general region ?????

The article is confusing on that point. The real driver for the cloning project was the discovery that a specimen of a deceased fetal tiger was found in an old museum, preserved in alcohol, as I remember, rather than formaldehyde. The method of preservation meant that the DNA was recoverable and that cloning was a possibility.

[Revelation 911]

Ive seen the video from which this still was taken - in it, the animal yawns - exposing a grotesquely huge mouth with some serious teeth

way cool - kinda like an alligator dog

[GingisK]

When they clone a T-Rex they should let it graze in the Conress.

[gogogodzilla]

Hey, cloning dinosaurs would be of great benefit of mankind.

Think about it, one Stegasaurus could probably feed an African village for a month.

---

And Burger King could offer Brontosaurus burgers.

[China Clipper]

Didn't we learn anything from Michael Creighton's book? Jeez, pretty soon all Australia will be devoured by all these clones Tasmanian devils.....

[China Clipper]

clones=cloned

Sorry! :)

[najida]

This sounds cool!

I love this kind of stuff (like, I would take vacation time to help dig a woolly mammoth out of the ice).

[SunkenCiv]

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