The American biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences has announced the successful revival of the dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus), one of the largest predators in North America during the Ice Age, which became extinct more than 10,000 years ago. According to The Times, thanks to modern methods of genetic engineering, researchers were able to recreate the animal, which was considered irretrievably lost to nature.
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The scientists obtained the DNA of the dire wolf from fossils dating back 13,000 and 72,000 years. Comparing it to modern grey wolves, they identified 20 key genetic differences. After editing the grey wolf cells based on this data, the researchers implanted the altered nuclei into surrogate dogs. As a result, three puppies were born, named Romulus, Remus, and Daenerys.
The revived animals have the characteristic features of a dire wolf: a massive skull, larger body size and white coat colour. Scientists claim that this is the first successful example of xenogenesis — the creation of a new species based on the DNA of an extinct organism, but using a living cell of another species as a basis.
Colossal says that it plans to work on reviving other extinct species, including the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. At the same time, the scientific community continues to debate the ethics and possible environmental consequences of such experiments.
While some researchers hail it as a breakthrough in biotechnology and species conservation, others highlight the risks of interfering with ecosystems, including the potential threat to modern species and the unknown consequences of genetic modification.
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