Scientists recover RNA from extinct Tasmanian tiger, unlocking genetic secrets

admin 2024年2月26日

Beginner

science & technology, science & technology - beginner

©Emilio Mármol Sánchez

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Have you ever heard about the Tasmanian tiger before?
Do you know if the Tasmanian tiger is still alive today?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

ancient /EYN-shuhnt/

[adjective] – of or from a long time ago, having lasted for a very long time
People have lived in this valley since ancient times.

death /deth/

[noun] – the end of life
He never got over the death of his daughter.

effort /EF-ert/

[noun] – physical or mental activity needed to achieve something
If we could all make an effort to keep this office neater, it would help.

challenge /CHAL-inj/

[verb] – to question the truth or validity of something, to invite or stimulate a person to engage in a contest, argument, or competition
The new evidence challenges the traditional theory of gravity, prompting scientists to reconsider their understanding of the fundamental forces in the universe.

creature /KREE-cher/

[noun] – any large or small living thing that can move independently
Rainforests are filled with amazing creatures.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

Geneticists extracted ancient RNA from a preserved Tasmanian tiger in Sweden, 130 years after its death, revealing insights into its genetics and extinction due to hunting 2,000 years ago. While not aiming to revive the species, this discovery, termed “revolutionary” by Andrew Pask, leader of the Tasmanian tiger project, could aid de-extinction efforts. It challenges the belief that only DNA survives long-term, opening possibilities to study RNA in other extinct creatures, like the woolly mammoth, for a deeper understanding of their biology.

This new discovery challenges the idea that only DNA can survive for a long time. RNA is more fragile than DNA, but the scientists still got it from the Tasmanian tiger. This opens the door to studying RNA in other extinct animals, like the woolly mammoth. By reading the RNA in the Tasmanian tiger’s body, they found new things about how it lived. RNA is like a cookbook for an animal’s body, and it helps us understand them better than just looking at DNA.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

Geneticists extracted ancient RNA from the Tasmanian tiger specimen.
The Tasmanian tiger went extinct 2,000 years ago due to hunting.
The primary aim of the research is to bring the Tasmanian tiger species back to life.
This discovery challenges the belief that only DNA can survive for a long time.
RNA provides a deeper understanding of an extinct species’ biology compared to DNA.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

ancient

death

effort

challenge

creature

The study of _________ civilizations like the Egyptians and Mayans allows us to glimpse into the past.
In mythology, the phoenix is a mythical _________ that rises from its own ashes.
The team puts a lot of _________ into building a sustainable future for the community.
Her groundbreaking research __________ the prevailing notion that emotions are solely driven by individual experiences
The mystery surrounding the _________ of the famous explorer still intrigues historians today.