It\u2019s been almost a century since the death of the last known thylacine, an animal more widely known as the Tasmanian tiger, which marked the extinction of this iconic predator. But a startup now hopes to bring thylacines back from the dead through a process called \u201cde-extinction\u201d and has enlisted a team of scientists, along with a celebrity family, to help the cause.<\/p>\n
Colossal Biosciences announced that it \u201chas started the de-extinction of the thylacine, a beloved Australian marsupial that was eradicated by human hunting,\u201d according to\u00a0a statement release<\/a>d Tuesday. The company, which is also working on an\u00a0effort to de-extinct wooly mammoths<\/a>, said it was partnering with the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab at the University of Melbourne, led by the thylacine expert Andrew Pask, to achieve this goal, and shared support from investors, including entrepreneur Thomas Tull and actor-brothers Chris, Liam, and Luke Hemsworth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n