Colossal Biosciences Achieves Milestone in De-Extinction with the Birth of Dire Wolves
The field of de-extinction has witnessed a groundbreaking achievement as Colossal Biosciences proudly announced the successful resurrection of a version of the dire wolf. This milestone was revealed earlier today and is heralded as the first successful attempt to bring back a species that had previously vanished from Earth. The company shared details of this remarkable feat in a comprehensive cover article published by Time magazine.
Colossal's efforts have resulted in the birth of three sibling dire wolves, named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesiâeach of whom appears to be healthy and thriving under the care of dedicated professionals. These exciting developments follow the companyâs earlier genetic engineering project involving âwoolly miceâ and are seen as a promising step toward their ambitious goal of reviving the woolly mammoth.
Dire wolves (scientific name: Aenocyon dirus) were majestic canines that roamed the Earth during the Late Pleistocene epoch, thriving between approximately 129,000 years and 11,700 years ago. This formidable predator became extinct around 9,500 years ago, and their bones have been found throughout North America. These animals are believed to have evolved to hunt large megafauna that inhabited the continent during the Ice Age.
What set dire wolves apart from their modern relatives was their sheer size; they were comparable to the largest gray wolves of today, albeit with larger and more robust teeth. Their cultural imprint has been amplified in recent years, particularly through popular media. For instance, fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones would recognize dire wolves as the loyal companions of the Stark family, adding to the intrigue surrounding this long-extinct species.
The three new dire wolves were born to surrogate large hound mixes at a carefully guarded ecological preserve. Colossal has taken extensive measures to ensure their safety, with the precise location of the preserve undisclosed to protect the animals. Romulus and Remus were born in October, while Khaleesi entered the world during the winter months, and all three are under meticulous observation by a team of veterinarians.
Ben Lamm, the CEO of Colossal, expressed immense pride in the team's achievement. In a statement he remarked, âThis massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works.â Lamm highlighted the exciting use of ancient DNA, revealing that the team utilized DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull, leading to the birth of healthy dire wolf puppies. He aptly quoted, âany sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,â to describe the groundbreaking work being undertaken.
It is important to clarify that Colossalâs approach did not involve a simple copying of ancient DNA. Instead, after reconstructing and studying the genomes of dire wolves, the scientists made targeted edits to the DNA from existing gray wolf cells. In total, they executed around 20 genetic modifications, with 15 specifically designed to bring the DNA closer to that of the dire wolf.
According to Colossal, these genetic variants are crucial in defining what makes dire wolves unique compared to contemporary wolves. Some of these variations are believed to influence the size and facial features of the revived animals. The process involved transplanting the nucleus of the modified cells into donor egg cells that had undergone a nuclear transfer, ultimately resulting in viable embryos that were carried by surrogate mothers.
As a point of comparison, the gray wolfâthe closest living relative of the dire wolfâhas a genome comprised of approximately 2.45 billion base pairs. Notably, the researchers indicated that the DNA of dire wolves differs by about 0.5% from that of gray wolves, equating to roughly 12 million base pairs that differentiate the two species. Although this achievement is remarkable, Colossal acknowledges that it has only begun to explore the genetic nuances that distinguish the two canines.
Colossal claims that its analysis represents the most comprehensive study of the dire wolf genome to date, resolving longstanding questions regarding its evolutionary lineage. Their research posits that gray wolves are the closest living relatives to dire wolves, contradicting certain recent studies suggesting a link to jackals. However, the resurrection of the dire wolf is not without its challenges and controversies.
Some researchers and ethicists have raised concerns regarding the appropriateness of resurrecting extinct species, while others argue about the authenticity of the wolves as true dire wolves. The team at Colossal is prepared to face scrutiny, acknowledging that scientific inquiries and moral questions will arise as their work continues.
Despite the challenges, the breakthrough signifies a significant milestone in genetic engineering. Colossal also announced that its cloning technology has recently been employed to successfully birth four red wolves, a species on the brink of extinction, with only 17 to 19 individuals remaining in the wild and an additional 270 in captivity. The company's aspirations remain high as they continue to strive toward bringing the woolly mammoth back to life by 2028.
As Colossal navigates this uncharted territory in genetic science, the birth of these dire wolves marks an exciting chapter that could reshape our understanding of extinct species and their potential role in our world.
