Dire Wolves

“Dire Wolf” Pups Created: Colossal Biosciences claims to have genetically engineered wolf pups with traits resembling extinct dire wolves.

Genetic Engineering Process: Scientists used ancient dire wolf DNA to identify traits like white coats and thick fur. They edited gray wolf cells using CRISPR based on 99.5% DNA similarity and inserted them into domestic dog egg cells.

Not Exact Replicas: The pups are not exact genetic replicas of dire wolves due to millions of base pair differences. Classification as “dire wolves” is based on physical resemblance.

Dire Wolf Characteristics: Extinct dire wolves were larger than gray wolves, native to North America, and hunted large prey. They went extinct around 13,000 years ago due to prey depletion and human interference.

Skepticism from Scientists: Independent scientists emphasize this is not a true revival of dire wolves. Vincent Lynch notes it’s only making something look superficially similar.

Lost Ecological Function: Even with physical resemblance, the pups cannot perform the ecological functions of extinct dire wolves in today’s landscapes.

Cloning Red Wolves: Colossal also cloned four red wolves to increase genetic diversity within the endangered population.

Conservation Potential: The cloning technology may have applications for conserving other species by being less invasive.

Government Interest: The U.S. Interior Department is enthusiastic about the project’s potential, with Secretary Doug Burgum praising it as a “thrilling new era of scientific wonder.”

Learning Behavior: Pups will not be able to act like dire wolves because they would not learn to kill giant elks or big deer.