Colossal Biosciences has genetically engineered three wolf pups that resemble extinct dire wolves at a secure location in the U.S. These pups are three to six months old, have long white hair, muscular jaws, and are on track to reach 140 pounds at maturity. Dire wolves went extinct over 10,000 years ago and are larger than gray wolves. The Colossal team learned about dire wolf traits through ancient DNA from fossils and used CRISPR to genetically modify cells from living gray wolves.
While the pups may physically resemble dire wolves, they may not learn the necessary hunting skills from wild dire wolf parents. Colossal also cloned four red wolves using blood drawn from wild wolves in order to bring more genetic diversity into the captive red wolf population. This technology may have broader conservation applications, but it still requires wild animals to be sedated for blood draws.
Colossal CEO Ben Lamm met with U.S. Interior Department officials about the project, and the Interior Secretary praised the work as a “thrilling new era of scientific wonder.” However, some scientists caution about the limitations of reviving extinct species, as they may not function the same in today’s landscapes. While the genetic engineering of these wolf pups is a significant achievement, it may not fully recreate the experience of having wild dire wolves back in the ecosystem.
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