In what can only be described as a genetic “comeback tour” that puts even the most hard-edged Game of Thrones beast to shame, Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced Monday that it has successfully resurrected the dire wolf—the prehistoric predator that once roamed North America 12,500 years ago.
Yes, folks, those colossal canines starring in your favorite medieval movies are now back on the scene, courtesy of a little DNA wizardry.
Colossal’s team, led by CEO Ben Lamm, reportedly used ancient DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to genetically engineer three dire wolf pups from gray wolf cells.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” Lamm declared in a press release, practically drooling with futuristic glee.
The resulting pups, which look like a cross between a gray wolf and a fantasy creature out of a medieval epic, are now living at a top-secret, 2,000-acre facility surrounded by 10-foot “zoo-grade” fencing.
Colossal’s latest genetic feat is being hailed as the “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal” and a massive milestone for de-extinction technology.
But not everyone is chomping at the bit to see these beasts unleashed on the wild.
Environmental philosophy professor Christopher Preston of the University of Montana cautioned, “It is hard to imagine dire wolves ever being released and taking up an ecological role. So, I think it is important to ask what role the new animals will serve.”
In other words, while the genetic tinkering is undeniably cool, somebody’s got to decide if these furry predators belong in the ecosystem or just as a quirky exhibit in a reanimated Jurassic Park.
Meanwhile, evolutionary genomics professor Love Dalén from the Centre for Palaeogenetics remarked, “There’s no secret that across the genome, this is 99.9% gray wolf. There is going to be an argument in the scientific community regarding how many genes need to be changed to make a dire wolf, but this is really a philosophical question.”
In a field where precise gene editing is treated as both art and science, the resurrection of dire wolves has certainly ignited plenty of debate—and a hearty howl of approval from fans of the extinct canines.
Colossal isn’t stopping with the dire wolf; the company is also eyeing the resurrection of woolly mammoths, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers.
Their long-term vision?
To create an entire prehistoric parade of animals that'll put Disney’s “Jurassic Park” to shame. “We see this as just the first step,” Lamm said. “If dire wolves can join the 21st century, so can the other giants of our past.”
Critics argue that all the money poured into de-extinction projects could be better used for current conservation efforts, and they worry about the ecological consequences of reintroducing extinct species.
But supporters point out that, with dire wolves’ role in pop culture and research, the technology could one day be harnessed to save endangered species.
In any case, while debates over prehistoric predators may get your tail wagging or your fur standing on end, one thing’s for sure—the days of the dire wolf are roaring back, and science is here to remind us that in the wild world of gene editing, sometimes the past is just a few edits away from becoming the present.
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