Jurassic Park… but fuzzier. Scientists say they’ve made a ‘woolly mouse’

Tiny lab mice just got a mammoth-sized upgrade — genetic tweaks have given them thick, woolly fur, bringing science one step closer to reviving traits of extinct species.

Tiny lab mice just got a mammoth-sized upgrade — genetic tweaks have given them thick, woolly fur, bringing science one step closer to reviving traits of extinct species.

Texas-based bioengineering company Colossal Biosciences on Tuesday announced the birth of what it calls the “woolly mouse,” a genetically engineered rodent with key mammoth-like traits.

Its thick, textured coat, reminiscent of a woolly mammoth’s, could help it adapt to colder climates, the company said.

Woolly mammoths roamed the frozen tundras of Europe, Asia and North America for more than 300,000 years before going extinct around 4,000 years ago.

The Ice Age icons had two huge tusks and a thick layer of shaggy, chocolate-brown hair.

Since 2021, Colossal has been working on a plan to revive the woolly mammoth and later the dodo bird. To do this, the company has focused on identifying key traits of extinct animals by studying ancient DNA, intending to genetically engineer them into living animals.

And that’s where the woolly mouse comes in.

“The Colossal Woolly Mouse marks a watershed moment in our de-extinction mission,” Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, said in a media release.