Cloning the thylacine

In 1866, a thylacine pup was preserved in Australia, opening the door to the possibility of cloning this extinct species more than 130 years later. The last thylacines became extinct in the 1930s, primarily due to human persecution and disease. Professor Mike Archer's 1999 discovery of well-preserved DNA offers hope for the revival of this predator.

In 1866, a pup from a predatory marsupial once found in Australia and Tasmania was preserved in alcohol instead of the then-commonly used formalin. More than 130 years later, scientists discovered they possessed material that could potentially revive the extinct species.

The last wolf died in the Australian Zoo in Hobart on September 7, 1936, and the last remaining wild wolf died six years earlier. The cause of this species' extinction was human persecution—wolves were suspected of killing sheep (the Tasmanian government offered a bounty for any animal killed). In the early 20th century, a disease similar to distemper further decimated the wolves.

In 1999, Professor Mike Archer, director of the Australian Museum, discovered that the DNA of a puppy housed at the museum was well preserved. This offers the possibility of cloning the animal, provided that all of the wolf's chromosomes can be recreated. The resulting embryo would likely be implanted into a female Tasmanian devil. Scientists believe the first clone could be created in 10 to 20 years.