Scientists Revive the Dire Wolf, or Something Close - The New York Times

De-extinction Breakthrough

Colossal Biosciences, a company valued at $10 billion, announced a significant breakthrough in de-extinction by creating three wolf pups with genetic characteristics of the extinct dire wolf. This involved retrieving dire wolf DNA from fossils and editing the genes of gray wolves to imbue them with key dire wolf traits.

The Wolf Pups

The resulting pups—two 6-month-old males (Romulus and Remus) and one 2-month-old female (Khaleesi)—are larger than gray wolves and possess dense, pale coats. They are being kept in a private facility in the northern United States.

Significance and Future Implications

Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief scientific officer, describes this as the first successful de-extinction. While these wolves will remain in captivity, the technology developed could be crucial for conserving critically endangered species like the red wolf.

• The technology has implications for broader conservation efforts.
• The project raises ethical questions surrounding de-extinction.