The scientific breakthrough that could bring Tasmanian tiger back to life
A remarkable breakthrough by Melbourne scientists could lead to the Tasmanian tiger making a reappearance.
For the first time, the creature's genetic blueprint has been sequenced, a crucial first step towards recreating the species.
Extinct for the best part of 100 years, the Tasmanian tiger is one of our most famous animals.
But thanks to an Australian scientific breakthrough, it may soon be back from the dead.
"The first big hurdle in trying to bring a species back from extinction is having this blueprint of its entire genetic code," Melbourne University researcher Andrew Pask said.
In something that sounds like it's from a sci-fi movie, researchers collected DNA from a 106-year-old preserved pouch pup, allowing the Tasmanian tiger's genome to be sequenced.
"This little animal from which the genome came is part of a litter of four, so she came in with the mother who was killed in the wild and then they were taken out of her pouch," Museum Victoria's Christy Hipsley said.
Considered vermin and a threat to sheep, the Tasmanian tiger was hunted into extinction in the early 1900s.
"I think the species that we hunted and were responsible for hunting to extinction - in that case, we almost owe it to the species to bring it back," Andrew Pask said.
But the experts say we shouldn't be planning a Tassie tiger sightseeing holiday just yet.
"We still have a way to go to get the technology and to get that at a reasonable cost," Christy Hipsley said.
Right now, the cost would be in the billions.
There have been a number of sightings of Tasmanian tigers since the last one died in captivity 79 years ago.
However, scientists are confident that there are none left, despite those mythical sightings.
"I would love to believe it, but given their similarity to dogs, it's just far more likely to be dogs out there," Andrew Pask said.
But given this current research, you might ask: for how long?
