On Monday, Colossal, a biotech firm, heralded what it describes as its inaugural success in de-extinction: the return of the dire wolf. This ancient predator vanished during the Late Pleistocene extinction events, which wiped out many large mammals across the Americas at the conclusion of the last glacial period. In a well-coordinated public relations effort, the company asserts that clones of grey wolves, modified with slight adjustments to their genomes, have effectively resurrected the dire wolf. Exclusive looks at these animals were provided to both Time and The New Yorker prior to the announcement.
The dire wolf is a close relative of the familiar grey wolf but displays distinct skeletal features. Researchers at Colossal, based on the genetic sequencing of two newly analyzed dire wolf genomes, concluded that this species diverged from its canine relatives over 2.5 million years ago. To put this in perspective, that timeline far exceeds the separation between brown and polar bears as distinct species. Dire wolves are also notably large, generally comparable in size to the largest populations of grey wolves. Genetic comparisons indicate that these ancient wolves also had a lighter fur coloration.
This significant evolutionary divergence implies substantial genetic variability between grey and dire wolves. According to unpublished analyses by Colossal, essential differences could potentially be addressed by modifying 14 specific genomic regions, with a total of 20 edits deemed necessary. The company reports that the newly created animals have 15 modifications incorporated, though the precise factors contributing to the differences remain unclear. A spokesperson for Colossal indicated to Ars: “We are not revealing all of the edits that we made at this point.”
The data shared by Colossal suggests that the company aimed to replicate the physical characteristics of the dire wolf, prioritizing its size and coloration. One of the modifications involves integrating a gene variant associated with larger grey wolf populations rather than relying solely on the variant from the dire wolf genome. A similar approach was utilized to achieve the desired lighter coat. This method reflects a cautious strategy, as these adjustments are known to align well with the overall grey wolf genetic framework.
