Scientists have finally completed the woolly mammoth genome, a feat that might bring these massive beasts that died out some 4,000 years ago back to life.

A team of U.S. scientists will use the mammoth genes and incorporate them with stem cells of modern elephants to gain a better understanding of the physical structure of the ancient creatures.

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This new technique is called de-extinction. This breakthrough technology works by using DNA samples from already extinct creatures like the woolly mammoth and placing them into the cells of their modern counterparts.

Extinct animals such as dodo birds, passenger pigeons and others are being considered for de-extinction by scientists to recover animal losses caused by humans and to also promote biodiversity. Skeptics, however, deem this practice unethical.

Still, the mammoth genome analysis has revealed the ancient beast went through two major population losses. The third instance led to the final demise of the last population in an island located in the Arctic Ocean. The last of the mammoths found along the Russian coastline presented evidence of inbreeding.

Unlike dinosaurs, mammoths died only recently. Remains of the animals have been recovered under the Siberian ice in almost perfect condition with flowing blood.

Researchers thoroughly examined the genetic codes from a pair of mammoths, including a molar from a 4,000 year old specimen that used to live on Wrangel Island and a 45,000 year-old calf in Siberia. The more recent mammoth, which was a member of the last surviving mammoths, was found to possess less genetic variation due to inbreeding.

According to geneticist Love Dalén from the Swedish Museum of Natural History, this difference in the Wrangel specimen's genome contains a large number of tracts that has no variation at all, meaning it's typical in very small populations where matings occur between distant relatives.

This study was published in the journal, Current Biology.

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