A “De-Extinction” Company Plans to Revive the Already Extinct Tasmanian Tiger

Can genetic engineering and reproductive technology de-extinct the Tasmanian Tiger?

Photo from a postcard of a thylacine (also known popularly as the “Tasmanian Tiger”) at the Horbart Zoo in Tasmania. The thylacine was a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia as well as the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea, where it was an apex predator. Today, the species are extinct, but there are plans to resurrect it. Harry Burrell, via Wikimedia Commons.

The “Tasmanian Tiger” (also known as the “Tasmanian Wolf”) was a dog-sized, tiger-striped mammal that is unfortunately extinct today. The species went extinct due to human activities, with the last of this species having died in 1936. However, Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based “de-extinction company” (yes, that’s really a thing) wants to resurrect the animal.

How are they planning to achieve this? And what impact could de-extinction have on our current ecosystem? This article will break down the science behind their plan!

Why Did the Tasmanian Tiger Go Extinct?

The Tasmanian Tiger is officially known as the thylacine, or thylacinus cynocephalus. It was a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia as well as the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The thylacine was an apex predator in these regions. It played a vital role in the ecosystem by killing weak and diseased animals and controlling excessive herbivore populations. Since its extinction, no other animal have taken its place.