De-Extinction of the Dire Wolf
A bioscience company in the United States, Colossal Biosciences, announced the revival of the extinct dire wolf. This marks the first successful resurrection of an extinct species through de-extinction science, after the dire wolf disappeared over 10,000 years ago.
Background of the Dire Wolf
- Scientific name: Aenocyon dirus.
- Dominated southern Canada and the US before extinction 13,000 years ago.
- Characteristics:
- Larger and similar to today's grey wolves (Canis lupus).
- White coats, standing 3.5 feet tall, over 6 feet in length, weighing up to 68 kg.
- Prey included horses, bison, and possibly mammoths.
- Extinction likely due to the disappearance of prey species.
Colossal's Claim and Process
- Three genetically modified grey wolf pups reportedly resemble dire wolves:
- De-extinction utilized genetic information from dire wolf specimens:
- DNA recovered from 13,000-year-old tooth and 72,000-year-old skull.
- Comparison with canid species confirmed grey wolf as the closest relative.
- Employed gene editing to introduce 20 unique edits to the grey wolf genome:
- Fifteen edits aimed at recreating extinct dire wolf traits.
Controversies and Challenges
The legitimacy of these pups being true dire wolves is debated:
- Colossal states that grey wolves and dire wolves share 99.5% of DNA.
- However, differences in millions of base pairs suggest distinct species.
- Phylogenetic analysis shows last common ancestor lived 6 million years ago.
- Concept of species classification varies; Colossal uses morphological species concept.
Future Prospects
Despite the breakthrough, the dire wolf species might not be truly reborn:
- The new pups lack parental guidance and hunting skills.
- Breeding is restricted, with plans for a few more engineered animals.
- Potentially mirrors the fate of the bucardo, another revived yet extinct species.
