Extinct: The last known Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart Zoo in 1936
Australian scientists have managed to extract a gene from a preserved specimen of a Tasmanian tiger and make it active.
The breakthrough has left them dreaming that one day they will be able to recreate the animal, which died out more than 70 years ago.
And if it can be done with the Tasmanian tiger, it may also be possible to resurrect creatures that have been extinct for far longer – the premise of the 1993 Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic Park in which dinosaurs were brought back to life.
"There used to be a time when extinction meant for ever, but no more," said Professor Mike Archer, Dean of Science at Sydney’s University of New South Wales.
"We are now able to seriously challenge whether those animals that have gone have gone for ever.
"What has been achieved is a very important step in bringing back those animals that are extinct and while I think that technically it is still pretty difficult at the moment, we can now see the possibilities.
"I’m personally convinced that the Tasmanian tiger will be brought back to life in my lifetime."
The breakthrough came after nine years of experiments by scientists at the University of Melbourne, who extracted a gene from one of several tigers preserved in alcohol in a Melbourne museum.via
The comeback: A Tasmanian tiger looked like a cross between a dog and a tiger
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