In a quiet corner of a Melbourne museum, researchers stumbled upon an unexpected biological treasure. It may hold the key to resurrecting one of the world’s most iconic extinct species: the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine. Preserved in an unassuming bucket, the head of a thylacine — skinned and soaking in ethanol for over a century — had quietly awaited its moment to make history. “We found it in the back of a cupboard,” said Professor Andrew Pask, head of the thylacine integrated genetic restoration research (Tigrr) lab at the University of Melbourne. “It was pretty putrid, a com…
