Extinct Animals: 10 Animals Scientists Could Bring Back to Life

The disappearance of a species is a devastating event, and if we look closely at the lists of threatened animals, the situation becomes worrying and depressing at the same time. However, we know that there are different projects and theories exploring the possibility that certain extinct animals could return to life. Below are ten of the most relevant cases.

10 extinct animals that could return to life

Woolly mammoth

Tundra mammoth, woolly elephant... any of those names is valid. But what matters most here is that we keep finding very well-preserved remains, and the chances of a successful cloning continue to rise...

Quagga

Declared extinct in 1883, all we have left of the original Quagga is one photograph and 23 skins. However, advanced study of its DNA gave rise to the Quagga Project, which seeks to 'imitate' the quagga's appearance through selective breeding.

Elephant bird

It is believed that humans were the main responsible for the disappearance of the elephant birds. From a geographical point of view, they are somewhat close to the ostrich, but their closest 'relative' today is the kiwi, national bird of New Zealand...

Baiji

Also known as the Chinese river dolphin, the baiji is wrapped in controversy. It was declared extinct in 2006, it was seen again in 2007, and today the term "functionally extinct" is used. Perhaps some remain, but there would not be enough specimens for their preservation.

Glyptodon

Mammals, herbivores, and much larger than we think, these extinct animals disappeared during the last ice age, which coincides with the arrival of the first humans to the American continent. Their closest relative? The armadillo.

Bucardo

The extinction of the bucardo came with the new century, but the expert community is far from giving up. In July 2003, a specimen managed to return thanks to cloning, although it only survived for eight minutes. The debate remains open...

Dodo

"The way of the dodo" is a phrase that English speakers use to describe something obsolete and about to disappear. However, the dodo's genome has already been sequenced, we have a huge amount of material, and there is much to learn from its relative, the Nicobar pigeon.

Thylacine

The last specimen died from negligence in 1936. Its nuclear genome was sequenced in 2017, and current work aims at developing a functional genome. The first attempt to 'revive' the species could take place in 2027.

Ground sloth

The name 'ground sloth' is actually a generic term to describe several mammals. They disappeared 10,000 years ago, and available evidence suggests they were hunted intensely by humans, despite their size and strength.

Smilodon

One of the most successful extinct animals of its time, and most popular today. So far we have not found strong cases for the reintroduction of the saber-toothed cat, and its closest relative would not be the lion or tiger as commonly believed, but the clouded leopard...