A science project to bring back an extinct species of frog famous for giving birth out of its mouth has been named one of the best inventions of 2013 because it managed to resurrect the gastric-brooding frog, albeit for a short period of time.
The Lazarus project, run by the University of Newcastle, Australia, revived the genomes of an extinct Australian frog using sophisticated cloning technology to implant a “dead” cell nucleus into a fresh egg from another frog species.
None of the embryos survived beyond a few days but genetic tests confirmed the dividing cells contained genetic material from the extinct frog.
Read the full, original story here: Extinct frog brought back to life: Lazarus Project named one of 2013 best inventions
Additional Resources:
- Stewart Brand: The dawn of de-extinction. Are you ready? TED talks
- “George Church: De-Extinction Is a Good Idea,” Scientific American
- “So You’re Extinct? Scientists Have Gleam in Eye,” New York Times
