Walks Like a Duck, Talks Like … Something Else

The woolly mammoth isn’t back just yet, but its tiny, genetically modified cousin has arrived.

Scientists at US-based biotech company Colossal successfully engineered a “woolly mouse” with thick, wavy fur reminiscent of the Ice Age giant – a major milestone in their controversial effort to bring the mammoth back to life.

The idea of de-extinction may sound like science fiction, but Colossal has been working since 2021 to turn that vision into reality.

The company’s goal isn’t to create a perfect clone of a woolly mammoth but to genetically engineer an Asian elephant – its closest living relative – with traits that would allow it to survive in Arctic conditions. The woolly mouse is a key proof of concept.

“What we found is in 23 days, versus 22 months, it worked,” Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm told USA Today, referring to the mouse’s short gestation period compared with an elephant’s. “This is a very, very big step for us because it proves that all of the work we’ve been doing for the last three years on the woolly mammoth is exactly what we predicted.”

Using CRISPR gene-editing technology, scientists identified and modified seven key genes linked to hair texture, color, thickness, and body fat – traits they believe helped mammoths thrive in the Ice Age.

The end result was a mouse with curled whiskers and a woollier coat that could grow three times longer than normal.

“They are much cuter than we thought they would be,” Lamm admitted.

The research team will now test whether these genes actually improve cold tolerance. If the woolly mice can handle frigid temperatures better than their standard lab counterparts, it would suggest that these genetic changes could also help Asian elephants survive in Arctic conditions.

The findings have been posted online, but they have yet to be published in a journal or reviewed by other scientists.

While some researchers see the study as a technological achievement, not everyone is convinced this is a worthwhile endeavor.

“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,” Christopher Preston, a professor of environmental philosophy at the University of Montana who was involved in the study, told the Associated Press.

Ethical concerns aside, some scientists question whether a cold-resistant elephant could truly help restore Arctic ecosystems, as Colossal claims.

The company suggests that reintroducing mammoth-like creatures to the tundra could promote grassland regrowth, reduce methane emissions, and even combat climate change.