A 10,000-year-unheard sound exists today in nature. It's not heard from a phantasmal film or a virtual video game. The courageous scientific feat revived the cry of the now-extinct giant dire wolf.
The First Howls of The Forgotten Predator
Three puppies with dire wolf DNA were discovered by Colossal Biosciences. Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi were born late in 2024. Science is marking their birth as a milestone.
Colossal on X (formerly Twitter): "SOUND ON. You've waited over 10,000 years to hear a dire wolf howl.
These wolves now live in the northern United States' Zone Alpha, a hidden sanctuary. Drones, high fences, and an in-house animal hospital are part of the 2,000-acre sanctuary. A team of professionals who work full-time monitor the pups.
They eat dry food, beef, deer, and horse meat. They will begin eating whole prey as they mature.
Genes, Fossils, and a Second Chance
In the past, dire wolves hunted sloths and bison, among other large species. They disappeared more than 12,000 years ago and were larger than contemporary wolves. Science, however, gave them another chance.
The key was fossils in Idaho and Ohio. DNA was recovered from an ear bone that was 73,000 years old and a molar that was 12,000 years old. Colossal used this to build a complete dire wolf genome. Compared to any attempt before, it was 500 times more thorough.
Scientists edited 14 genes at 20 locations with CRISPR gene editing. They controlled muscle growth, thickness of the fur, body size, and skull shape. A dire wolf's DNA was carefully edited to be identical with that of a grey wolf.
"Genetic edits from a whole dire wolf genome were employed to return these two wolves from extinction," said Colossal.
Carefully de-extinction
It wasn't cloning, though. They were looking for the right genes. Hazardous traits with ill health were steered clear of by the researchers. For instance, the white fur gene had a risk of blindness. In a bid to attain a similar fur color, they used a safer modern gene.
There is a higher cause for the wolves. Colossal aims to change people's attitudes towards conservation and extinction. "This is a step forward for science, conservation, and humankind," the company wrote in their piece.
"Now close your eyes and listen to that howl once more," they went on. Think about the implications for all of us.".
An animal returning from a 10,000-year-long hibernation is not a common occurrence. But the dire wolf is howling again today, this time for tomorrow.
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