Woolly mouse

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/woolly-mouse

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Not applicable (laboratory-created organism)
2. What is the developer?Colossal Biosciences
3. Why did scientists create a woolly mouse?Scientists made the woolly mouse to test new gene‑editing tools and learn how to give animals mammoth traits safely. It helps them practice the steps needed to bring back extinct species.
4. How does the woolly mouse help with de‑extinction?The woolly mouse lets researchers see how the added genes work in a living animal. By watching its body stay warm and use energy, they learn what changes are needed for a real mammoth.

De-extinction: The scientific process of reviving extinct species through genetic engineering and reproductive technologies.
Proof-of-concept: A demonstration proving the feasibility of a proposed idea, product, or theory.
Genomic sequencing: The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome.
CRISPR-Cas9: A powerful gene-editing tool that allows scientists to precisely modify DNA.