Will tiny ‘woolly mice’ help resurrect Ice Age giant woolly mammoth?

Could woolly mammoths make a comeback?

Scientists at US biotechnology firm Colossal Biosciences have successfully created a new species: the woolly mouse.

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Colossal’s long-term aim is to develop mammoth-like animals that could play a role in preventing the melting of Arctic permafrost.

**Woolly mammoths** once roamed the icy landscapes of Europe, Asia, and North America before becoming extinct around 4,000 years ago.

On Tuesday, Colossal revealed that its researchers had edited seven genes in mouse embryos to produce rodents with thick, long, woolly fur. The genetically modified mice have been nicknamed the “Colossal woolly mouse”.

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But could these genetically engineered mice pave the way for the return of woolly mammoths? And how would that be possible?

Let’s find out:

The plan to “de-extinct” woolly mammoth

Extinction is permanent, but scientists at Colossal Biosciences are working on what they claim is the closest possible alternative to bringing back ancient creatures.

Colossal gained attention in 2021 when it announced an ambitious project to revive the **woolly mammoth**, followed by the dodo bird.

Since then, researchers have been analysing ancient DNA to identify key traits of extinct species, with the aim of genetically engineering these traits into living animals, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm said.

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To achieve this, Colossal scientists examined mouse DNA databases to pinpoint genes linked to hair texture and fat metabolism. According to the company’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro, each of these genetic variations “already exists in some living mice,” but the team “combined them all into a single mouse.”

These particular traits were chosen because they are likely tied to cold resistance - a characteristic essential for woolly mammoths to survive in the prehistoric Arctic.

Colossal began experimenting with mice to test the feasibility of its approach before potentially applying similar gene-editing techniques to the embryos of Asian elephants, the closest living relatives of woolly mammoths.

The company’s ultimate objective is to create herds of mammoth-like creatures that could inhabit the Arctic tundra. It believes these animals’ grazing habits could promote grassland growth and help limit the release of carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost. This process contributes to global warming.

Researchers plan to assess whether these mice are better adapted to cold temperatures and to further examine their hair development.

Ben Lamm said that the company does not intend to breed or sell the genetically modified mice. However, for around $3,500, scientists can purchase a shaggy-haired mouse strain known as ‘woolly’ from the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. This particular strain was first bred over two decades ago.

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How was the “woolly mouse” created?

To create the woolly mouse, Colossal stated that it identified genetic differences between **mammoths** and their closest living relative, the Asian elephant.

The company’s researchers then focused on 10 genetic variants linked to hair length, thickness, texture, colour and body fat. These variants matched known DNA sequences found in laboratory mice.

Using three advanced techniques, the team carried out eight simultaneous genetic edits across seven genes in mice.

Colossal shared a preprint scientific paper detailing its findings. This unpublished research has not yet been peer-reviewed.

“I think that the ability to edit multiple genes at the same time in mice, and to do so and obtain the expected woolly appearance, is a very important step,” Love Dalen, professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University. Dalén, who is an advisor to Colossal, coauthored the paper, told CNN.

What critics are saying about the process

Scientists outside the project have differing opinions on whether this approach will aid conservation.

“You’re not actually resurrecting anything - you’re not bringing back the ancient past,” Christopher Preston, a wildlife and environment expert at the University of Montana, who was not involved in the research, said in a statement to AP.

Many independent experts remain sceptical about the concept of “de-extinction.”

“You might be able to alter the hair pattern of an Asian elephant or adapt it to the cold, but it’s not bringing back a woolly mammoth. It’s changing an Asian elephant,” Preston explained.

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Robin Lovell-Badge, head of stem cell biology and developmental genetics at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who was also not involved in the study, told The Guardian, “My overall concern is whether this is a sensible use of resources rather than spending the money on trying to prevent species becoming extinct.”

He also pointed out that there is no evidence yet on whether the genetically modified mice can withstand colder temperatures.

Other experts said that the research did not introduce mammoth genes into mice but instead altered mouse genes to achieve known effects on their fur.

“This doesn’t seem to have a practical use or any real scientific value,” Dr Helen Wallace of the campaign group GeneWatch told BBC.

In response, Colossal researchers argue that their work is misunderstood. They describe their woolly mouse as a tool for testing genetic modifications before applying them to elephants, ensuring the changes are both effective and safe.

With inputs from agencies