Scientists at Colossal Biosciences have created a genetically engineered mouse dubbed the “woolly mouse” as a step towards their goal of resurrecting the woolly mammoth.

The end product is a new breed of mouse exhibiting several mammoth-like traits, including:

• Curly whiskers
• Wavy, light-colored fur that grows three times longer than a typical lab mouse
• A coat color similar to mammoth mummies found in permafrost
• Genes that affect fat metabolism

The team didn’t splice DNA from mammoths into the mice. Using a 52,000-year-old fossilized mammoth carcass, scientists reconstructed the 3D structure of ancient chromosomes.

Colossal said it had identified genetic variants in which mammoths differed from Asian elephants. This enabled them to pinpoint active genes related to traits like hair follicle development, critical for the woolly phenotype.