Dire Wolves Are Back—Thanks to Gene Editing

The dire wolf is no longer just a creature of the past.
Using cutting-edge genetic engineering, scientists have created two hybrid wolves — named Romulus and Remus — by splicing ancient dire wolf DNA into the genome of modern gray wolves. These aren’t just symbolic tributes. They represent a bold step toward bringing extinct species back to life.

Dire wolves once roamed across the Americas, dominating the Ice Age alongside mammoths and saber-toothed cats before vanishing roughly 10,000 years ago. Now, thanks to Colossal Biosciences, a company at the forefront of the de-extinction movement, fragments of these apex predators are being reassembled with modern biotech.

With only 20 genetic edits across 14 genes, scientists have begun to unlock the dire wolf’s once-lost traits. It might not sound like much, but tiny DNA changes can lead to massive biological differences — just like how humans and chimpanzees share 98.8% of DNA yet are vastly different.

This project is part of a much larger mission: to restore extinct species and help rebalance ecosystems damaged by human activity. From the woolly mammoth to the woolly mouse, de-extinction is no longer science fiction — it’s happening now.

#Science #DireWolf #Wolf #Genetics #YouTubeShorts #Shorts

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[erictillotson]

It's like these guys never saw Jurassic Park, - Life finds a way "

[alexdavis]

these aren’t really deextinction efforts, these are just showcases of colossal’s gene editing techniques. neither this nor the woolly mice are useful in either a deextinction context (which isn’t even a good idea) or as a project to help with our current ecological conditions

[samebo]

we have a series of movies which show exactly why this is a terrible idea

[mollycollins]

...why do we need mammoths? Just to say we could/did?

[toxboxdevel]

Where tf are we gonna put these mammoths?

[pinku-]

May be Jurassic series will become true someday soon

[brotmitbutter]

what technology was used for gene editing?

[mariarobinson]

If they re introduce these animals back into the wild after breeding many generations and climatising them back to their habitat. What would be the impact on other species? The world has moved on from them… not sure bringing them back would help

[mmhhjj]

It can already be pretty hard to tell the difference

[ltvsscandinavia]

I wonder if the edited ones can create fruitful offspring.

If yes, how many different edits do you need in the baseline to avoid incest defects?

[NewEtchedEntertainment]

Have we learned nothing from Jurassic park

[marysumner]

Ummm...invasive species? Jurassic park? Bad ideas.

[jarry]

What’s the point? Why do we need these?

[lastofmygeneration]

This path will only lead to ruin. Can you imagine the sicknesses we might accidentally bring back?

[harishankard]

How is it useful to us ? Will it help cure genetic disorders ?Otherwise it is waste of money

[t-boogie]

Figure out clean energy that will restore more than this

[Life_]

Finally! Don't let the negative people stop the process! Let the negative people live in their caves while the positive people create a healthier planet!

[eurozry]

I think that is what we should do.
Humans are the reason why many animals died or even extinct.
Very nice that humans use their intelligence for something good what they used to only do bad.
Thank you for the interesting video 😊

[teeteepalooza]

yes i would. but i’m not a consequences worrier. my bad.