Likely DNA and surrogates for the Thylacine, also, Problems and Progress with Cloning

In 1866, scientists preserved a Thylacine ‘joey’ in ethanol in hopes that one day modern day scientists would be able to clone the animal as, during the time, Thylacine numbers were diminishing quickly for several reasons. Recently, there has been much speculation into whether or not the 150 year old specimen would in fact be able to have a suitable amount of DNA that could be copied.

In order for scientists to be able to use the DNA of the preserved joey, they would first have to:

1. Extract DNA from the joey that is intact

2. Create an artificial membrane for the cell and place the DNA inside

3. Transfer the live cell with DNA into the uterus of another animal

4. Have a successful growth inside a surrogate

Other problems have arisen also, for example the likely surrogate for producing a Thylacine, would be the most closely related marsupial, a Tasmanian Devil, which is very impractical due to the tigers large size as well as the possibility that the germination period could differ between the two animals. Other animals that could be recognised as surrogates during the cloning process is the Numbat, which is not likely for the same reason, the Thylacine is a large predatory marsupial that would not be able to grow into its full size inside that of a Numbat. Millions of years of evolution have changed species and not many marsupials are similar to the Thylacine, not leaving much room for surrogacy.

Progress so far has given scientists small extracts of DNA from the heart, liver, muscle and bone marrow tissue from a preserved Thylacine joey in 1866. From here, once cloning an extinct species has been perfected, could result in the return of the Thylacine. Mike Archer, the scientist attempting to bring the Thylacine back from the dead has recently cloned the embryo of an extinct breed of frog, the southern gastric-brooding frog. As of yet, none of the eggs that were injected with the embryo have survived, but once they can survive, Archer believes he can bring back the Thylacine with the same method.

There have been several issues that could stop progress in terms of cloning the Thylacine, here are a few more;

In order for a species to flourish, variations in DNA and the genetic code need to be present, otherwise an inbreeding depression would occur with no heterozygosity in the population, leaving the animal vulnerable to disease and would most likely end with extinction.

Another problem that could arise with cloning the Thylacine, is the lack of DNA, Dolly the Sheep, the first animal to be cloned, took a very long time to actually produce a living animal, 277 attempts were made prior to Dolly’s birth, once she was born however, she experienced a shortened lifespan to the average sheep as well as malformed organs that caused major health issues.