Scientists Modified Genes In Mice to Give Them Traits of Woolly Mammoths, and the Results Are Frankly Adorable

Do the words "mammoth mice" sound a little oxymoronic to you? Well, in our modern age of gene editing, they simply represent a new reality.

That's because scientists at Colossal Biosciences say they've genetically engineered tiny rodents to possess the iconic shaggy locks of the woolly mammoth, in a stepping stone towards reviving the extinct creatures.

So, behold the extremely adorable "woolly mouse." With three times the hair length of an ordinary lab mouse, they're as fluffy as the titans they're imitating were enormous. And with any luck, the researchers at the "de-extinction" startup believe it's a step toward one day reintroducing mammoths back into their natural, frigid habitats.

"For us, it's an incredibly big deal," Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal, told NPR. "This is really validation that what we have in mind for our longer-term de-extinction project is really going to work." 

Meet the Colossal woolly mouse Read More