The Return of the Dire Wolf (or not)
Colossal Biosciences has done the unthinkable: birthing extinct dire wolves through 20 precision genetic edits. It is not just sci-fi anymore – they’ve turned ancient DNA into living, breathing reality.
The dire wolf, largely assumed to be a legendary creature made famous from the HBO hit series Game of Thrones, was an American canid that had previously been extinct for over 12,500 years.
Additionally, Colossal has birthed two litters of cloned red wolves, the most critically endangered wolf in the world, using a new approach to non-invasive blood cloning. The birth of red wolves provides further evidence of the link between de-extinction efforts and the company’s growing capacity to support conservation efforts globally through de-extinction technology innovation.
The company performed a record 20 precise edits to the genome, all modifications derived from analysis of the dire wolf genome with 15 of those edits being the exact extinct variants. Together these edits contribute to a larger, stronger body and a longer, fuller coat with light pigmentation.
You can read more on their website.
Meanwhile, some scientists are questioning their methods and don’t think these are dire wolves all.
Paleogeneticist Dr Nic Rawlence, also from Otago University, explained how ancient dire wolf DNA – extracted from fossilised remains – is too degraded and damaged to biologically copy or clone.
“Ancient DNA is like if you put fresh DNA in a 500 degree oven overnight,” Dr Rawlence told BBC News. “It comes out fragmented – like shards and dust.
“You can reconstruct [it], but it’s not good enough to do anything else with.”
Instead, he added, the de-extinction team used new synthetic biology technology – snipping out pieces of DNA and inserting them into the genetic code of a living animal that has its entire biological blueprint in tact, in this case a grey wolf.
“So what Colossal has produced is a grey wolf, but it has some dire wolf-like characteristics, like a larger skull and white fur,” said Dr Rawlence. “It’s a hybrid.”
Final thoughts: We have to be cautious about thinking of this as a silver bullet for conservation. The resources required for such projects are immense, and the ecological implications of reintroducing extinct species remain uncertain.