The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine


banner
PLAY

Episode Notes for
Resurrecting the Extinct

mouse altered with Thylacine gene

Mouse altered with Thylacine gene
(click to enlarge)

PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE HYPOTHESIZED about being able to bring back an extinct animal, but (so far as the MonsterTalk team knows) the only person who has successfully brought an extinct animal’s gene back to be able to express itself in a living organism is Dr. Andrew Pask and his team of genetics experts. Tasmania’s marsupial tiger, the Thylacine, appears to be extinct. But today MonsterTalk interviews Dr. Pask about his experiments, the best chances of resurrecting dead species, and what makes the Thylacine so interesting to evolutionary science.

In this episode

  • what is a Thylacine?
  • how marsupials differ from eutherian mammals
  • how to resurrect extinct DNA in a living animal
  • how to bring an extinct animal back through genetics?
  • could Thylacines still be extant?
  • some misconceptions about Thylacines
  • why Thylacines are important to evolutionary scientists
  • also: check out Dr. Pask’s favorite monster: The terrifying Thylacoleo!

Music

The views expressed on this program are not necessarily the views of the Skeptics Society or Skeptic magazine.

Skeptic Magazine App on iPhone

SKEPTIC App

Whether at home or on the go, the SKEPTIC App is the easiest way to read your favorite articles. Within the app, users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Download the app today and get a 30-day free trial subscription.

Download the Skeptic Magazine App for iOS, available on the App Store
Download the Skeptic Magazine App for Android, available on Google Play
SKEPTIC • 3938 State St., Suite 101, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105-3114 • 1-805-576-9396 • Copyright © 1992–2024. All rights reserved • Privacy Policy