Colossal Biosciences aims to revive extinct species via gene editing

Colossal Biosciences, a US-based biotechnology company, is pursuing the controversial goal of de-extinction. The company aims to use modern genetic engineering to partially bring back extinct species, including the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the thylacine.

Regarding the woolly mammoth, the company intends to use gene editing to introduce mammoth traits into Asian elephants. The goal is to produce a mammoth-like calf in a laboratory setting by the end of 2028. While a literal reproduction of an Ice Age mammoth is not currently possible with existing scientific methods, the project seeks to use these technologies to aid in the protection of modern biological diversity and combat species loss.

In separate paleontological news, researchers in Egypt have discovered fossilized shark teeth on the Abu-Tartur Plateau. These findings indicate that the region was once a tropical sea approximately 80 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. The discovery identifies at least seven different shark species, providing insight into the high biological activity of the ancient marine environment.