The
Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) is an
Iberian ibexsubspecies with the unfortunate moniker of the first animal to go extinct twice. Endemic to the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains, this
ibex was driven to extinction due to competition with livestock and introduced wild ungulates. Several attempts were made to
clone the Pyrenean ibex, and one individual was born to a
domestic goat mother in 2003. However, this newborn died within minutes due to a lung defect.[1]
The
Judean date palm is a cultivar of the
date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) that is historically endemic to ancient
Judea (modern-day
Israel and
Palestine). It is genetically unique, and closely related to modern
Iraqi and
Moroccan varieties.[2] Between 1963 and 1991, archaeologists discovered Judean date seeds in excavation sites. Through radiocarbon dating, they were determined to be between 1,900 and 2,300 years old. In 2008, researchers at the
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies began to germinate the seeds.[2]
As of 2023[update], 7 Judean date palms have successfully germinated. In 2020, researchers began to harvest dates from these trees. Experiments to revive this cultivar are ongoing.[3]
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abSallon S, Cherif E, Chabrillange N, Solowey E, Gros-Balthazard M, Ivorra S, Terral JF, Egli M, Aberlenc F. Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric stuhe holy land. Econ. Bot. 21, 320–340 (1967)