Scientists have made a jaw-dropping discovery that could bring woolly mammoths back from the dead—or at least get us one step closer. They’ve uncovered a massive, 52,000-year-old chromosome from a well-preserved mammoth fossil in Siberia, offering an unprecedented look at the ancient beast’s DNA. This massive genetic find, which is a million times longer than previous samples, reveals detailed insights into how mammoths' genes worked, especially those that gave them their iconic shaggy coats. With this groundbreaking data, researchers are now closer than ever to understanding how to revive these Ice Age giants, though some experts caution that bringing them back might be risky.

While the concept of bringing long-extinct animals back to life gained widespread attention with the release of Jurassic Park in 1993, the Woolly Mammoth is a separate relic from not too long ago that is the focus of most discussions regarding de-extinction. John Hammond was wrong on many counts—don't pu...