A step towards the “resurrection” of the Tasmanian tiger: scientists obtained the RNA of an extinct animal for the first time
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For the first time, scientists managed to extract Tasmanian tiger RNA from the dried skin and muscles of the animal, which has been stored in the Stockholm museum since 1891. This was reported by Reuters with reference to a publication in the scientific journal Genome Research. Over the past few years, scientists have managed to extract DNA from ancient animals and plants, some of which are over 2 million years old. DNA is a double-stranded molecule that contains the genetic code of an organism. Illustration: nicolasprimola/Depositphotos RNA is a single-stranded molecule that also carries genetic information derived from DNA. Thanks to it, the body synthesizes a set of proteins necessary for the body to live, and regulates cellular metabolism. But RNA is less stable than DNA, so this study is unique. “RNA sequencing gives you a sense of the true biology and metabolic regulation that occurred in the cells and tissues of Tasmanian tigers before their extinction,” said lead researcher, geneticist and bioinformatician Emilio Marmol Sánchez of the Center for Paleogenetics and SciLifeLab in Sweden. Co-author and colleague Mark Friedlander added that to understand extinct species, it is necessary to understand how certain genes worked. Previously, scientists debated how long DNA can be stored in stable museum conditions. At the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the remains of a Tasmanian tiger were semi-mummified, with preserved skin, muscles and bones, but missing internal organs. “Most researchers believed that RNA could only survive for a very short time—days to weeks—at room temperature. That’s probably true when the samples are wet, but it’s obviously not true when they’re dried,” said evolutionary geneticist Love. Dalen from the Paleogenetics Center. Read also: Lonely rhinos and a parrot that does not fly. What do you know about animals that may become extinct? TEST The Tasmanian tiger resembled a wolf except for the tiger-like stripes on its back. Due to the arrival of colonists to Australia in the 18th century, almost the entire population and animals died on the island of Tasmania. The last known Tasmanian tiger died at the Tasmanian Zoo in 1936. “The story of the Tasmanian tiger’s demise is in some ways one of the most well-documented and confirmed human-caused extinction events. Unfortunately, Tasmanian tiger conservation began just two months before the last known individual died in captivity. It was too late to save them from extinction,” said Emilio Marmol. Scientists are still skeptical about the possible reproduction of an extinct species with the help of genetic editing of genes on living relatives of animals. However, scientists emphasize that it is not necessary to stop these studies. Read also: Scientists want to “revive” the extinct woolly mammoth. And elephants can help
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