Rapid Fire
Dire Wolves
- 09 Apr 2025
- 2 min read
A US-based biotechnology company (Colossal Biosciences) has claimed to have genetically engineered wolf pups (Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi) with traits resembling the long-extinct dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus).
Genetically Engineered Wolf Pups:
- Scientists used ancient DNA from 13,000-72,000-year-old dire wolf fossils to identify traits like white coats and thick fur.
- By comparing dire wolf genomes with modern canids (wolves, jackals, foxes), they found 99.5% DNA similarity with gray wolves.
- Using CRISPR, they edited 20 gene sites in gray wolf cells, inserted them into domestic dog egg cells, and implanted embryos into dog surrogates.
- Out of 8 transfers, 3 genetically engineered pups were born after a 62-day gestation.
- Different From Extinct Dire Wolves:
- The gene-edited pups are not exact genetic replicas of extinct dire wolves. Despite a 99.5% DNA similarity with gray wolves, millions of base pair differences exist.
- This experiment classified the recreated animals as dire wolves using the morphological species concept- based on physical resemblance, not precise genetic or evolutionary lineage.
Dire Wolf
- They were large prehistoric canines that went extinct around 13,000 years ago.
- Native to southern Canada and the US, they were larger than modern gray wolves, standing 3.5 feet tall, over 6 feet long, and weighing up to 68 kg, with likely white coats.
- They hunted large prey like bison and horses and likely went extinct due to prey depletion and human interference.
| Read More: Indian Grey Wolf |
