GettyWoolly mammoth realistic 3d illustration 3D illustration of a woolly mammoth “That's crucial over the longer term, because they can really hold the key to saving species.”ĭevelopmental biologist and associate professor at the University at Buffalo Vincent Lynch similarly mused to the outlet, "The goal, I think, is to turn these iPSCs into sperm and eggs, which would allow for in vitro fertilization and, eventually, surrogacy.” The stem cells hold such weight because they will allow researchers to “derive gametes,” which are crucial germ cells involved in reproduction, Eriona Hysolli, Colossal’s head of biological sciences and mammoth lead, told Live Science. Related: Scientists Hope to 'Genetically Resurrect' Woolly Mammoths to Help Combat Climate Change “We don't necessarily need to bring back a perfect genome of a mammoth, because we want one that has certain things that mammoths didn't have,” Charles told the outlet. The animal Colossal is hoping to create through its de-extinction project is not so much a resurrection of the exact woolly mammoth that went extinct 4,000 years ago, but rather an elephant that is more resistant to cold, as mammoths were, and has most of the core biological traits that allowed it to survive in cold climates. The company’s co-founder and a Harvard and MIT geneticist George Church told the outlet of the effort, “This is probably the most significant step in the early stages of this project.” Now that the stem cells have been identified, scientists will be able to use cloning techniques to manipulate them in the hopes of birthing elephants with some of the mammoths’ key traits. Scientists are one step closer to bringing back one of the world’s fiercest mammals.ĭallas biotech company Colossal Biosciences has been working on several de-extinction projects in the hopes of bringing back the woolly mammoth and the dodo bird, among other extinct species, and has reached a major milestone in its efforts.Ĭolossal has derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from Asian elephants, the closest living relatives of mammoths, NPR reports. GettyA trio of woolly mammoths trudges over snow covered hills.
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