Watch: Extinct Tasmanian Tiger May Return, Thanks to Preserved Head in Ethanol

The Tasmanian tiger, a marsupial apex predator, went extinct almost a century ago, but scientists are now closer than ever to bringing it back through genome sequencing—much like the fictional revival of dinosaurs in *Jurassic Park*.

The Tasmanian tiger’s genome has been reconstructed with 99.9% accuracy, marking a significant breakthrough in the ongoing “de-extinction” project. Currently, only 45 gaps remain in the sequencing process, made possible by the serendipitous discovery of a preserved Tasmanian tiger head in Australia that dates back over 110 years.

The ambitious effort is being led by Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based company also working to revive the woolly mammoth and the extinct dodo bird.

 

What Happened to the Tasmanian Tiger?

Also known as the thylacine, the Tasmanian tiger was once the apex predator in the forests of Tasmania, Australia. Sadly, the species was declared extinct in 1936, following the death of the last known individual at Tasmania’s Beaumaris Zoo.

Colossal Biosciences recently teased that they are close to making a major announcement about the animal’s revival. The thylacine, officially named *Thylacinus cynocephalus*, may soon walk the Earth once again.

 

A Head Pickled in a Jar May Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back

The preserved Tasmanian tiger head, discovered in a jar, still contained RNA molecules—crucial for reconstructing the animal’s genome. By analyzing samples from the head, researchers were able to sequence the majority of its DNA, including some RNA strands. This surprising discovery is being hailed as nothing short of a scientific miracle.

Professor Andrew Pask, who leads the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research (TIGRR) lab at the University of Melbourne, was stunned by the find. “It was literally a head in a bucket of ethanol in the back of a cupboard that had been there for about 110 years,” he told *The Guardian*. “It was pretty gruesome, with large chunks of it missing.”

 

Genome Sequencing: A Path to Reviving Extinct Species?

Professor Pask explained to *LiveScience* that old samples can yield excellent genomic data, which is the foundation for the “de-extinction” of lost species. Genomes are the complete set of DNA that provide organisms with their unique traits and contain the information necessary for growth, development, and functioning.

As Pask emphasized, obtaining a high-quality genome sequence is key to the efforts to bring back the Tasmanian tiger. “The genome is the full blueprint for de-extincting this species,” he said, signaling an exciting future for the revival of extinct animals.