The extinct Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus ) has been resurrected — or at least part of its DNA has — in a mouse.
The last Tasmanian tiger died in an Australian zoo in 1936.PLoS
Typically of Australia's weird and wonderful animals, the Tasmanian tiger, also called the thylacine, wasn't actually a tiger. It looked like a dog, but was in fact a marsupial, complete with a pouch for rearing its young.
By resurrecting part of its genetic sequence in a mouse, researchers have found a way to study how the species evolved, in the hope of learning its place in the tree of life. The technique could also be applied to other extinct animals.
This is the first time DNA from an extinct animal has been shown to perform its intended function in a living animal.
clipped from: www.nature.com 