A US-based biotechnology company trying to “de-extinct” the Tasmanian tiger using DNA from another marsupial has released cartoon-narrated videos in a bid to win over skeptics.
The Colossal Foundation said in early October that it had reconstructed the thylacine genome with 99.9 percent accuracy, a world first for an extinct species.
The new video features a cartoon version of the animal on a blue checkered background that is strikingly similar to the ‘MrDNA’ mascot that appeared in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.
The company, which announced the project in 2022, wants to eventually return the carnivorous Australian marsupial to the wild.
Colossal has published four videos, featuring the voice of an animated thylacine, with the aim of explaining the environmental importance of the species and the science involved.
“It looks like a movie we’ve all seen, but it’s not,” says a video, referring to the classic directed by Steven Spielberg.
‘Well, the science is more or less the same in theory, but in everything else, not at all.
“Our return could demonstrate that we can right the wrongs of the past and restore our natural heritage, which in return will create a more sustainable future for the island.”
The last known thylacine died in captivity at a Hobart zoo in 1936 and its disappearance was attributed to colonial hunting, disease and habitat change.
Colossal Biosciences, which has received financial backing from stars including Paris Hilton and Chris Hemsworth, bills itself as “the world’s first extinction company” (pictured: Colossal CEO Ben Lamm).
The last known thylacine died in captivity at a Hobart zoo in 1936 (pictured)
In a University of Melbourne collaboration, Colossal wants to create a “near perfect” genetic match to the thylacine using DNA from its closest living relative, the fat-tailed dunnart.
The plan is for baby thylacine to be born to Dunnart surrogate mothers and then develop in an artificial pouch.
“(The genome reconstruction) represents significant progress in achieving the goal of ‘de-extinct’ the thylacine,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm.
“The company is excited about what this scientific milestone can mean for Tasmania and the world.”
Some scientists have poured cold water on Colossal’s genome claim, saying they wanted to see peer-reviewed data before getting too excited.
The new video features a cartoon version of a thylacine on a blue checkered background that is strikingly similar to the ‘MrDNA’ mascot that appeared in the 1993 film Jurassic Park.
The mayor of a council in the island state’s south, Michelle Dracoulis, chairs Colossal’s Tasmanian Thylacine Advisory Committee.
“We created these videos to help dispel some of the myths and skepticism, and answer questions that many people have about the thylacine and the de-extinction project,” he said.
‘I think one of the most important messages of the series is explaining why this project is important for Tasmania.
“In part, this is about restoring our top predator to the ecosystem and stopping the inevitable trophic degradation that is occurring due to its absence.”
Colossal says it wants to create a thylacine that is a near-perfect match to its original ancestor within the next decade.