The Tasmanian tiger became extinct in 1936. One of the last of its kind was photographed in Hobart Zoo in Tasmania in 1933. | Image: National Archives of Australia

The Tasmanian tiger could be revived. In Australia, the company Colossal Biosciences is trying to resurrect this extinct marsupial species by modifying the genome of a current marsupial to recreate a thylacine embryo. Scientists are planning to resurrect the woolly mammoth in the same way. In an August editorial, The Guardian newspaper argued that science should instead focus on saving endangered species and warned against such attempts to resurrect extinct species. While there are many doubts about the practical feasibility of such projects – and several attempts have already failed – there are even more concerns about the consequences, should they succeed. In particular, the modified genes may be affected by natural selection or passed on to wild species and escape the control of scientists.