The Quagga is back!

Have you ever heard of an animal called the Quagga? No? Well that’s probably because the animal went extinct over 100 years ago.

The Quagga was an extinct animal, recently discovered as a subspecies of plain zebras. They roamed South Africa up until the 19 century. European settlers fixed the beasts in their sights killing them at an alarming rate. By the 1880s, the last known Quagga had passed away and the species became extinct, until now!

The Quagga shared many characteristics with the zebra. Like zebras, the Quagga had stripes, but they only appeared on the front half of their bodies. The back half of their bodies were brown.

A group called the Quagga Project worked to recreate the animal. The key to the reincarnation of this animal is hidden in the animals’ genetics. From testing remaining Quagga skins, genetics revealed that the animal is indeed a subspecies of the plain zebras.

According to Eric Harley, the Quagga Project’s leader and a professor at Cape Town University, the genes which make up the Quagga should still be present in modern day zebras and can be manifested through selective breeding.

Selective breeding and genes are both studied during biology courses taken here at Bolles. Students learn about genes and how newborns inherit their traits. With the correct breeding formulas, this project of bringing back this animal can be possible.

One freshman student here at Bolles was blown away when he heard this news. Michael Hume said, “Wow! I can’t believe it. Imagine how many extinct animals can be brought back to life.”

If the Quagga Project is successful, many doors will open to the many possibilities genetic engineering can produce.