Australian scientists plan to recreate the extinct Tasmanian tiger from DNA extracted from bones and teeth in a museum.
According to Professor Mike Archer, a leading scientist at the University of New South Wales, many people are skeptical about the feasibility of this project, but he believes it will succeed.
Professor Archer initiated the cloning project using DNA recovered from a preserved Tasmanian tiger fetus when he was the director of the Australian Museum in Sydney.
He left the museum in 2003, and the project was put on hold because researchers felt they did not have enough DNA from the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine.
The Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), resembling a large dog with a long body and striped markings, was hunted nearly to extinction over hundreds of years after European settlers arrived on the island off the southern coast of Australia. They were unknown and feared by the settlers, despite being reclusive animals that preferred to avoid humans.
The last known Tasmanian tiger died at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania in 1936, although some wild sightings have been reported since then.
Earlier this year, The Bulletin offered a reward of AUD 1.25 million (USD 929,000) for anyone who could prove that this creature still exists, but the prize remains unclaimed.
According to Nick Mooney, a Tasmanian biologist, recent studies only add to the mystery surrounding this animal.
However, Professor Archer remains determined to bring this species back. He noted that the strongest criticisms of the project have come from some curious Tasmanians, but they would be willing to participate in the project if they could contribute.
