In the iconic movie "Jurassic Park", scientists extract dinosaur DNA from mosquitoes preserved in fossils to cultivate extinct dinosaurs. Although this was considered science fiction, a similar scenario is now unfolding in reality. An American biotech company has successfully "revived" the dire wolf, an extinct canine species that should have disappeared over 12,000 years ago, using ancient DNA and gene-editing technology.
According to CNN, the dire wolf was an extinct canine species that lived approximately 125,000 to 10,000 years ago, widely distributed across North and South America. Like many giant animals, it vanished during the Ice Age extinction event. Recently, Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based biotech company, announced on its website that its team used cloning technology to breed three dire wolf pups in October 2024, marking the world's first successful de-extinction.
Colossal's team extracted dire wolf DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull. They then used gene editing and recombination with gray wolf cells, the closest living relatives, to create high-quality embryos. These embryos were implanted into surrogate mothers, resulting in the birth of three pups. Similarly, they successfully bred four critically endangered red wolf pups using the same method.
Colossal's chief scientist emphasized that they are not attempting to "fully replicate" the original species but rather restore its functional characteristics. Therefore, the revived animals are essentially hybrids of dire wolves and gray wolves. The three dire wolves are currently living in a 2,000-acre facility accredited by the American Humane Association and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, receiving around-the-clock monitoring and care.
Colossal has been working on reviving the woolly mammoth, dodo, and thylacine since 2021, but this is the first time they have publicly disclosed their work on the dire wolf. The success of breeding dire wolves has not slowed down the team; last month, they made progress by growing woolly mammoth-like fur on experimental mice and claim they will "revive" the woolly mammoth by the end of 2028.
Key Points of Colossal's De-Extinction Efforts:
- Technological Approach: Colossal uses ancient DNA extraction, next-generation sequencing, stem cell research, and multiplex genome editing to revive extinct species.
- Species Focus: Besides the dire wolf, Colossal is working on reviving the woolly mammoth, thylacine, and other extinct species.
- Conservation Impact: The company aims to enhance the resilience of revived species to thrive in today's changing climate and ecosystems.
