Article: « Des souris laineuses préparent le retour du mammouth »
Answer: Scientists are using the gene-editing tool CRISPR to insert DNA from the extinct woolly mammoth into the genome of a living species, the Asian elephant. This could potentially lead to the creation of a hybrid animal that is part mammoth and part elephant. The goal of this research is to help conserve Asian elephants, which are endangered, by giving them certain traits that allowed mammoths to survive in cold environments. This includes a layer of insulating hair and small ears to reduce heat loss. The researchers have already successfully edited the genes of mouse cells to include mammoth DNA. However, they caution that it will be a long time before a real-life mammoth-elephant hybrid can be created, if it is even possible.