Researchers are moving forward in their efforts to revive the woolly mammoth by creating woolly mice. Scientists at Colossal Biosciences, a U.S.-based genetic engineering company, say they have successfully created mice with thick, woolly fur – marking a small but significant step toward their goal of modifying Asian elephants to have mammoth-like traits.
The company aims to produce the first mammoth-like elephant by 2028 through advanced gene editing. Scientists are studying the genetic differences between Asian elephants and woolly mammoths, focusing on key traits that helped the extinct species survive in cold climates.
Breakthrough in genetic modifications
Researchers recently created genetically modified mice with coats adapted for cold tolerance, including thick fur and golden-brown coloring. Instead of inserting mammoth DNA, they edited mouse genes responsible for hair texture, length, and color.
Two of the altered genes are also found in mammoths, suggesting they played a role in developing the species’ woolly coats.
They've spliced woolly mammoth genes into mice.
There are now… WOOLLY MICE.
If you don’t wanna talk about this, we have nothing to discuss. pic.twitter.com/xRmumlJfqw
— Isley (@IsleyResistance) March 4, 2025
Scientists also modified a gene linked to fat metabolism, which they believe may have helped mammoths store energy for survival in freezing temperatures. Using precise gene-editing techniques, the team made up to eight genetic changes in a single experiment.
Despite these advancements, not all modified embryos resulted in live births. Some mice were successfully born with woolly or long fur, but their body size remained unchanged even with the fat-processing gene alteration.
“It does not accelerate anything but it’s a massive validating point,” said Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm.
Skepticism from experts
While the study represents progress in genetic engineering, some scientists question its significance in the broader effort to bring back the mammoth.
Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell and genetics expert at the Francis Crick Institute in London, praised the study’s technical execution but pointed out gaps in its findings. He noted that the research did not explain how these genes influence hair growth or whether they would function the same way in elephants.
Meet the Colossal woolly mouse 🐭 🧵 pic.twitter.com/n6V6Sl3pLa
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) March 4, 2025
“As it is, we have some cute-looking hairy mice, with no understanding of their physiology, behaviour, etc,” Lovell-Badge said. “It doesn’t get them [the researchers] any closer to know if they would eventually be able to give an elephant useful mammoth-like traits and we have learned little biology.”
Other experts stress that engineering a mammoth-like elephant presents a much greater challenge than modifying mice.
Dr. Tori Herridge, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Sheffield, cautioned that the number of genes involved in creating a true mammoth-like elephant is likely much higher than scientists currently understand. Additionally, using elephants as surrogates raises ethical and logistical concerns.
“Mammoth de-extinction doesn’t seem to be on the horizon anytime soon,” Herridge said.
Next steps and unanswered questions
Colossal Biosciences plans to test the cold tolerance of the genetically modified mice in the coming months to determine whether their fur and metabolism changes provide any survival advantage in lower temperatures.
The company remains optimistic that its research could lead to breakthroughs in species restoration and conservation. However, some scientists argue that resources would be better spent on preventing modern species from going extinct rather than attempting to resurrect one that disappeared thousands of years ago.
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