A Texas-based biotechnology company has successfully created a genetically modified mouse with mammoth-like features, marking what it claims is a significant step toward reviving the long-extinct woolly mammoth.
In a CNN report, Colossal Biosciences announced the development of the so-called “woolly mouse,” which sports long, wavy fur, curled whiskers, and golden hair — all traits inspired by the woolly mammoth. By editing specific genes linked to hair length, texture, color, and body fat, the company’s scientists were able to modify the appearance of ordinary lab mice to resemble characteristics believed to help mammoths survive in frigid climates.
“This is an important step toward validating our approach to resurrecting traits that have been lost to extinction,” said Dr. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, in a statement.
To create the woolly mouse, researchers made eight simultaneous gene edits targeting seven mouse genes. One of the genes altered, known as FGF5, was responsible for producing the longer, shaggier hair.
While Colossal celebrates the milestone, some experts are questioning its relevance to the broader goal of bringing back extinct animals like the woolly mammoth.
“My biggest problem with the paper is that there is nothing addressing whether the modified mice are cold-tolerant,” said Robin Lovell-Badge from The Francis Crick Institute in London. “As it is, we have some cute looking hairy mice, with no understanding of their physiology.”
Colossal, which has raised $435 million since 2021, aims to eventually recreate extinct animals like the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger by editing the genomes of their closest living relatives. The company believes that reintroducing mammoth-like creatures into the Arctic could help slow climate change by preserving permafrost.
Still, scientists remain skeptical. “You are only ever going to create a crude approximation of any extinct creature, based on an incomplete idea of what it should look like,” said Tori Herridge of the University of Sheffield.
Colossal has previously stated it is aiming to produce the first woolly mammoth calves by 2028.
