Rudolph Angler Colossal Biosciences has announced a groundbreaking achievement in genetic engineering by using CRISPR technology to create wolves that resemble the long-extinct dire wolves. This ambitious project claims to have revived a species that has been absent for over 10,000 years. The company showcased its progress with wolf pups named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, aged three to six months. Despite the hype surrounding the project, experts are questioning the accuracy of the claim, suggesting these creatures are hybrids, not true dire wolves.
CRISPR Technology Revives Extinct Traits
Colossal Biosciences, known for its work on genetic engineering and de-extinction, has made waves with its attempt to recreate an extinct species using modern science. The company used grey wolf DNA as a base, modifying it with traits from the dire wolf, a species that disappeared over 10,000 years ago. The dire wolf traits were drawn from fossil records, including a 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old skull fragment from Idaho. Through CRISPR gene editing, scientists targeted 20 specific genetic sites in grey wolf DNA to introduce these ancient features.
Creation of Wolf Pups: A New Step in De-Extinction
Using the edited DNA, Colossal implanted modified nuclei into domestic dog egg cells, employing dogs as surrogates to carry the modified embryos. After a 62-day gestation period, the company produced several pups, including Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, each weighing around 36 kilograms at birth. These pups, now three to six months old, could eventually reach 63.5 kilograms. The wolf-like appearance of these pups is evidence of the success of the CRISPR edits, but experts argue that these animals are more accurately described as genetically modified grey wolves than true dire wolves.
Experts Raise Concerns Over ‘De-Extinction’ Claims
Independent experts have voiced skepticism about Colossal’s de-extinction claims. According to Vincent Lynch, a geneticist from the University of Buffalo, CRISPR technology can replicate certain visual traits, but it cannot fully recreate an extinct species. Lynch clarified that true de-extinction would require the cloning of an entire genome, not just the introduction of specific genetic traits.
Nic Rawlence from the University of Otago echoed this sentiment, stating that using fragmented fossil DNA to recreate a species presents significant challenges. Rawlence emphasized that Colossal’s efforts resulted in a genetically modified grey wolf, not the recreation of a true dire wolf. He further pointed out that the genetically altered pups may look like dire wolves, but they lack the behavioral traits and ecological roles that defined the extinct species.
Gene Editing and Conservation Efforts
Despite the controversy surrounding the claims of recreating extinct species, Colossal Biosciences is also engaged in other gene-editing projects aimed at conservation. The company has been involved in efforts to bring back species such as the woolly mammoth and the dodo. Additionally, Colossal cloned four red wolves from the blood of wild populations, aiming to increase genetic diversity among the endangered species.
CEO Ben Lamm defended the company’s work, suggesting that the technology could serve as a tool for species preservation rather than merely a scientific curiosity. He argued that de-extinction could potentially offer a more ethical alternative to animal cloning and that the technology is more feasible than critics might suggest.
Debate Continues Over Ethical Implications
The use of CRISPR for de-extinction has sparked a broader debate about the ethics and practical implications of gene editing in conservation. Wildlife expert Christopher Preston raised concerns about the challenges of sedating wild wolves for gene editing, which poses risks to the animals. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that CRISPR could still provide valuable tools for preserving endangered species and enhancing genetic diversity.
In March, Colossal met with US Interior Department officials to discuss its de-extinction efforts, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praising the technology as a scientific breakthrough. However, scientists remain cautious, stressing that genetic engineering cannot fully restore the ecological balance or behaviors of extinct species.
Colossal Biosciences’ efforts to bring back the traits of the long-extinct dire wolf through CRISPR technology mark a significant milestone in genetic engineering. However, the scientific community continues to question whether these creatures truly represent a revival of the species or are merely genetically modified grey wolves. As gene editing technologies advance, the debate over their ethical use in conservation and de-extinction will undoubtedly continue.