Colossal, the most high-profile of de-extinction biotech companies, is already causing a stir in the conservation world. In particular, their recent announcements about the dire wolf and woolly mouse are winning big on press and bucks. The company has even managed to breed three live dire wolf puppies, Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi. What an incredible accomplishment, bringing back a species lost roughly 13,000 years ago! This weighty, ambitious project has sparked a national and international conversation about the meaning and consequences of applying genetic engineering to conservation efforts.
Colossal reached this milestone by utilizing a genome downloaded from the gray wolf. This species was 99.5% genetically similar with the dire wolf. The company employed the cutting edge genetic editing CRISPR technique to manipulate the size, musculature and coat color of the dire wolf puppies. This made them more visually similar to their non-avian dinosaur ancestors. This breakthrough strategy has brought both praise and disbelief to the scientific community.
The Science Behind the Revival
Colossal’s chief science officer, Beth Shapiro, explained that the dire wolf has an incredible history of about 4.5 million years. Its forebears were a mixture of South American canids and an extinct wolf. This ancient wolf lineage is today considered the forebear to modern gray wolves, dogs, coyotes and dholes. Colossal’s scientific white paper shows that dire wolves were highly inbred with the ancestors of gray wolves. This finding indicates a much more intimate relationship between the two species than we imagined.
“We generated high-quality ancient genomes from dire wolves that lived 13,000 and 72,000 years ago. Our analyses show that dire wolves interbred extensively with the lineage that ultimately evolved into gray wolves, suggesting that dire wolves and gray wolves are much more closely related than previously thought.” – Colossal
Colossal’s new “puppies,” are, in their own words, “slightly-modified gray wolves.” National Geographic’s important observations go on to explain that these wolves are not dire wolves for real. This distinction has created inquiries over the authenticity of their resurrection as well as the ethics behind these genetic alterations.
Risks and Responsibilities in Biotechnology
As with any new technology, there is risk because of the unknowns with genetic engineering. Beth Shapiro acknowledged these concerns by stating, “Any new technologies carry some risk of unintended consequences – biotechnologies are not unique in this way.” She emphasized Colossal’s commitment to understanding these risks in partnership with others. Simultaneously, they’re drawing up plans for what success should look like and how to tackle potential unexpected hurdles.
As Shapiro pointed out, it’s crucial to find a balance between precaution and progress when it comes to biotechnological innovation.
“Importantly, we have to remember that there is tremendous risk in being too scared of these tools to explore what benefits they can bring. Doing nothing is also a decision with consequence, and that consequence is that we will continue to lose the battle against extinction.” – Beth Shapiro
The ethical debate around these projects goes well beyond the case of the dire wolf. Colossal is further along in plans to resurrect the dodo bird, which has been extinct for more than 300 years. As these efforts progress, public scrutiny will almost certainly increase with respect to the broader implications of such scientific pursuits.
Conservation Funding and Future Prospects
In recent years, Colossal’s ambitious projects have brought a historic wave of attention and funding to the field of de-extinction and conservation efforts. The company’s broader goal isn’t just the resurrection of extinct species but to stimulate discussion and advocacy for the ongoing losses of biodiversity around the world. Wildlife biologist and commentator on conservation technologies, Matt James, touched on the significance of Colossal’s work.
“To have a real proof point that there is technology today that could be fundamentally changing to that fight against biodiversity losses is incredible.” – Matt James
Looking forward, Colossal has an ambitious schedule for reaching additional milestones on the path to de-extinction. The company is looking forward to one of their mammoth calves being born by 2028, which they rate as “highly likely.” These innovative pilot programs are being implemented this year. They are bound to inflame the big debates over the ethics and obligations surrounding our manipulation of nature.
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