A US genetic engineering company has pulled off a world first, successfully creating ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves in a breakthrough that brings new hope for other lost species, including the Tasmanian tiger.
Texas-based Colossal Biosciences revealed this week that three dire wolf pups, a species that vanished 13,000 years ago, were born using ancient DNA combined with genes from their closest living relative, the grey wolf.
The pups, named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi, represent the first successful “de-extinction” of an ancient species. They were born to a surrogate dog mother in January.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said.
“It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’.”
“Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
The company used somatic cell nuclear transfer to create high-quality cell lines, which were then implanted into the surrogate.
Scientists extracted the ancient DNA from a fossilised tooth found in Ohio and a tiny inner ear bone unearthed in Idaho.
The pups now live in what Colossal calls a “secure expansive ecological preserve”.
The breakthrough could be a game-changer for Colossal’s high-profile project to bring back the Tasmanian tiger, which disappeared from the wild in the early 1900s.
The last known thylacine died in captivity in 1936 at Hobart’s Beaumaris Zoo.
“Colossal can change that,” the company said.
