Reviving Extinct Species: RNA Recovered from Tasmanian Tiger for the First Time
Scientists have successfully recovered RNA from an extinct species for the first time, specifically from a thylacine specimen that died in 1936. The researchers extracted and analyzed RNA from the desiccated skin and skeletal muscle tissues of the thylacine, providing insights into its biology and metabolism. While the study's focus was not on de-extinction, the findings could benefit scientific advancements in gene editing, in vitro fertilization, and the analysis of extinct and extant viruses. This breakthrough opens the possibility of recovering RNA from other extinct species in the future.