Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based genetic engineering company, recently announced it has successfully revived the dire wolf, an extinct species, using ancient DNA. The firm extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone to create three puppies named Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi. Rather than traditional cloning, Colossal employed genetic engineering techniques, which they refer to as de-extinction or genetic rescue. Founder Ben Lamm emphasized that the DNA was engineered into a wolf cell line, rather than breeding dire wolves with modern wolves. The dire wolf went extinct over 10,000 years ago, likely due to food source depletion and increased competition. Colossal's efforts are part of a broader push for conservation and biodiversity, with the company planning to apply their genetic technologies to existing species in need of restoration. Despite the excitement, Lamm noted philosophical considerations surrounding the authenticity of such creatures, arguing that concepts of purity belong more to eugenics than scientific practice.

Source 🔗