Chalk this up to real life imitating art. In a Jurassic Park-like experiment, a Dallas-based biotech company says that it has successfully “de-extincted” a species of wolf that flamed out approximately 12,500 years ago. Scientists with Colossal Biosciences used ancient DNA, cloning, and gene editing technology to create three new dire wolf pups, a modern-day iteration of the prehistoric predator that once called North America home.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” remarked Ben Lamm (via press release), the cofounder and CEO of Colossal.
The process altered the genes of a modern-day gray wolf. For now the only way for the general public to see these new pups is via videos such as this, as they are presently growing up at an undisclosed location on 2,000 fenced-in acres.
So what comes next? It could be a dodo, a Tasmanian tiger, or even a mammoth, three species that Colossal has publicly disclosed, since 2021, to be on their radar. For now, it’s a waiting game, though this much is certain, Colossal has no plans to rest on this success. “This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” Lamm stated.
[CNN] [YouTube: NewYorkPost]
