Woolly mammoths one step closer to de-extinction — thanks to ‘woolly mice’ created by biotech firm

It’s one small step for mice, one giant leap for mammoth-kind.

Scientists endeavoring to “de-extinct” woolly mammoths through genetic modification have taken a meaningful step toward achieving their goal — creating an entirely new species called the woolly mouse.

Biotech firm Colossal Biosciences is behind the effort to resurrect the prehistoric elephant ancestor, believed to have gone extinct between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago.

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In its research, the team discovered two genes common to both mice and mammoths, including one they believed to be responsible for the latter’s thick coat, which they targeted for modification in their experimentation.

Their scientists have been tweaking the DNA of Asian elephants to give them woolly mammoth traits, such as increased tolerance to cold and, of course, their trademark fur.

The firm aims to birth its first calf by the end of 2028.

In the team’s latest breakthrough, they’ve successfully created a healthy new species of mice whose genes they’ve sliced and diced to give them those precise attributes, even changing how fats in their bodies are metabolized to make them more cold-resistant.

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The resulting woolly mice are about the same size as their unmodified counterparts, but with an unmistakable flaxen coat of thick fur resembling the long-extinct mammoth.

Although the creation of the mice doesn’t necessarily transform their timetable, it’s an encouraging sign of progress, Ben Lamm, co-founder and chief executive of Colossal, told The Guardian.

“It does not accelerate anything but it’s a massive validating point,” he said.

To create the mice, the scientists deployed a variety of genome editing techniques, some that modified fertilized mouse eggs and others that altered embryonic mouse stem cells, which were injected into embryos and implanted into surrogates, the outlet reported.

Lamm said Colossal Bioscientists’ next hopes to experiment to determine the ability of the mice to withstand cold temperatures.