Inside Track
Scientists to “De-extinct” Woolly Mammoth by 2027
Like so many science-fiction classics whose technology has now become a reality, it appears that a real-life Jurassic Park may soon be coming to a city near you — except it would probably have to be called “Cenozoic Park.”
According to a January 29 Medium post, Texas-based genetics and bioscience company Colossal expects its ability to genetically modify species in the womb will be at humanity’s disposal within four years, and claims its project to resurrect the famous yet extinct woolly mammoth will be complete by 2027. The company’s teams “have collected viable DNA samples and are editing the genes that will allow this wonderful megafauna to once again thunder through the Arctic.”
Since the woolly mammoth’s DNA is a 99.6-percent match with the Asian elephant’s, the embryo will be created in the womb of an Asian elephant, employing CRISPR genome editing to replace any missing links in the mammoth’s DNA with Asian elephant DNA. Genetic engineers will then transfer the embryo to an African elephant, which is larger than an Asian elephant and would thus have an easier time delivering a hybrid calf. Colossal wants to use the calves to repopulate parts of the Arctic where they historically lived.
JBS Member or ShopJBS.org Customer?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account username and password or use that login to subscribe.
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically