Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi have free roam within their man-made habitat. photo by Colossal Biosciences
With advancement to genetic engineering, the previously extinct dire wolf has been “revived.”
During this time of evolution in science, a new development to the genetic realm has been made. The dire wolf, a previously extinct species of canine, has been “revived” through genetic engineering and cloning techniques. While the current existing dire wolves are not an exact replica of those from the Ice Age period, the creation of this nearly genetically identical clone is the first step towards a whole new era of science.
In order to create the wolves, scientists first began by retrieving DNA from within the fossils of the predator. Following a comparison with the species closest present relative, the grey wolves, scientists were then able to edit the grey wolves genome DNA to match that of the fossil’s traits. Grey wolves are the species from which all modern dogs descended, and dire wolves also occupy a side of the canine evolutionary tree. However, their size is about 25% larger than the current biggest modern dog. Technology like Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) was used to make a total of 20 edits spanning across 14 of the genes, with these edits changing aspects like body size and coat color. This was done within an embryo that was then implanted into three surrogate dogs; the dogs gave birth to one pup each. These pups go by the names of Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
In order to maintain and ensure the safety of these pups, they are located in an undisclosed 2,000 acre space that is currently being called Zone Alpha. According to sources at Time Magazine, the design of the space aims to provide the wolves with ample roaming space while also removing their ability to escape the preserve. This space is surrounded by ten foot fences, and, nearby, there is another six-acre preserve that includes a veterinary clinic and other amenities that aim to tend to the wolves. In terms of if the wolves have adequate amenities, sophomore Davis Johnson stated, “They appear to be well cared for with a veterinary clinic nearby, and the space does seem to be sufficient.” In general, these wolves are looked after exceptionally well, as seen in their ability to roam under the scientists’ watchful eye.
The backstory of these wolves is also immensely intriguing. Dire wolves were the largest ancestral canine to ever live, and they are stated to have thrived in the plains of North America until ten thousand years ago when the last Ice Age ended. With the disappearance of their immediate prey, the species was proclaimed extinct. Before the wolves’ introduction to the 21st century, they were still present in society’s culture as seen in the popular TV series Game of Thrones. They can specifically be viewed on the big screen as the wolf cubs adopted by the ill-fated Stark children.
To put in perspective the species dominance within their era, dire wolves competed for predatory dominance with the infamous sabertooth tigers. This finding has been proven through multiple skeletons of dire wolves found intermingled with the tigers. Their competition was a result of similar prey, which was necessary to the diet of the wolves as they were classified as hypercarnivorous. This means that the predator’s diet consisted of approximately 70% of meat that dire wolves shredded apart with their large, canine teeth. These teeth were also “bone-crushing,” meaning that they could break into the skeleton of their prey and extract the maximum amount of nutrients.
The addition of dire wolves into a world that was not built for them does raise some cause for concern. There is frequent debate around ethical implications. Sophomore JT Rimkus shared how he initially heard of this development through a video shared by chemistry teacher Rachel Teeter. Rimkus shared, “I thought that bringing back the wolves seems really cool, but introducing these animals reminds me slightly of the Jurassic Park and World movies.” Although bringing back dinosaurs in Jurassic Park is much different than bringing back wolves in a controlled space, there is concern that cloning a species that went extinct naturally is not a good decision. Some individuals see these actions as an attempt to “play God,” meaning that humans should not have a say in what animals survive natural extinction. The introduction of a species that is not adapted to the current ecosystems also poses the dilemma of throwing off the balance of habitats if these animals are introduced into the wild. Along with the ecological risks, the cost for creating this species is substantial.
On the other hand, this innovation is a large step towards genetic engineering advancements. With the new found knowledge, scientists could utilize this skill to ensure the lives of many endangered species for the future. Additionally, introducing this species into the wild also has the possibility of restoring ecosystems if the dire wolf is a good fit within the food chain. This would potentially benefit other native species within the environment.
A factoid to note is that scientists still disagree as to whether they can claim that dire wolves are classified as a “de-extinct species.” Some believe that the species is simply just a strand of grey wolves with dire wolf-like qualities. Regardless of what remains true, their existence in this world is incredible. This event will become the catalyst for ample genetic engineering to come.
