Colossal Laboratories recently announced it had "restored a once-eradicated species through the science of de-extinction" and "returned the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem." In the latest example of science headlines not aligning with reality, news organizations breathlessly reported that "Dire Wolves Have Just Been Brought Back From Extinction" and "The Dire Wolf is Back.", and shared photos of fluffy cream-colored pups in the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones.
Scientists of all stripes have taken to social media en masse to refute the company's claim. Climate, extinction, and biodiversity scientist Jacquelyn Gill posted on Bluesky, "Colossal Bioscience did not revive dire wolves, despite a sensationalist Time Magazine cover story. Making genetically modified animals that are cosplaying as extinct species is not de-extinction." (You must be logged in to Bluesky to view the post.)
There is no actual dire wolf DNA in the wolves designed by Colossal; only CRISPR-edited grey wolf genes with dire wolf traits. Furthermore, the embryos were implanted in and gestated by a domestic dog. The surrogate mom was rearing the pups until they were taken away when she became "too attentive," according to the Time magazine article. Nonetheless, Colossal touts the certification by the American Humane Society.
Buried in all the coverage is the fact that the company has used the technology it developed to produce two litters of critically endangered red wolves. So, they are doing important work in preventing the extinction of a species with less than two dozen individuals left in the wild, but it's treated as an afterthought, both by Colossal and the press. Perhaps the dire wolves can be a means to an end, a splashy faux de-extinction to fund reversing extinction for its less exciting cousins.
Side note: Our own Rob Beschizza is one of the few who got it right with his carefully worded headline.
Previously:
• Meet the woolly mouse, the first step toward bringing back the woolly mammoth from extinction
• Dodo to be deëxtincted with genetic engineering
• The Tasmanian Tiger's been extinct since 1936. Should we bring it back with science?
