Did Scientists Resurrect a Dire Wolf or Just Create Colossal Hype?
A "dire wolf" in its enclosure
Post Author - Ellis Nolan
In a recent and controversial development in the field of genetic modification, researchers at Colossal Biosciences claim they have successfully bred three specimens of the dire wolf: a species of American wolf that has been extinct since the early Holocene Epoch, about 10,000 years ago.
Romulus and Remus, the "dire wolf" pups
The two eldest of the supposed dire wolf pups, named Romulus and Remus (both males), are each about 4 feet long and weigh around 80 pounds. Once they reach maturity, these wolves will probably be around five feet long and 150 pounds; dire wolf fossils reflect that the species grew, on average, to the size of a large gray wolf, a common contemporary species.
Similar to the “wooly mice” introduced by Colossal earlier last month, these animals don’t actually have any historical dire wolf DNA. Their genes were edited from gray wolves’ to reflect the characteristics gleaned from dire wolf fossils. This genetics breakthrough is yet another step on Colossal’s goal of creating a living Wooly Mammoth using edited Asian elephant DNA, however, many scientists have voiced concerns over their creations.
First, Romulus and Remus live on a roughly 2,000-acre plot, complete with an attached veterinary center, dens, and a large fence that keeps the pups in and other critters out. While this might sound like the sweet life, in the wild, wolves much more commonly travel in packs of more than 15 in areas spanning many miles. Mammoths may present a similar problem since their closest living relative, the Asian elephant, travels almost 40 miles on a daily basis, in herds of 20 or more individuals. Are the scientists setting these animals up for a cramped, lonely existence?
Researchers believe the new techniques could help preservation efforts
Beyond the care for these animals, experts disagree with Colossal’s argument that what they made is an authentic dire wolf. First off, while the company was able to edit gray wolf DNA to adjust the wolves’ appearance, experts say equally important is how the wolves would have acted in their environment compared to today’s wolves, which is impossible to glean from fossils or DNA. Experts also warn that the cloning techniques used by Colossal have had many negative consequences for the animals being cloned, including birth defects and miscarriages.
Regardless, scientists are hopeful that this burgeoning technology will be used to curb species on the brink of extinction from falling off, as Colossal has with species such as the red wolf. One needs not look far to see where human intervention in natural events has gone awry.
Interested in dire wolves? Check out our dire wolf fossil specimens here, no genetic modification involved!
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