US company claims to have 'resurrected wolf terror': closer to genetic engineering than species rescue

A US company announced this week that they have successfully bred three terror wolves, despite the species being extinct for thousands of years. Colossal Biosciences stated that they adjusted the DNA of modern gray wolves using genes from wolf fossils to restore the species, and experts say that these cubs are actually more similar to "genetically modified gray wolves".

This week, a startup company called Colossal Biosciences in Texas, USA, released a video of a so-called terror wolf canid, a species that became extinct over 12000 years ago, causing a great sensation. Colossal has successfully restored a once extinct species through science for the first time in human history, "the company stated on its website.

The company stated that they adjusted the DNA of modern gray wolves by using carefully selected genes from wolf fossils. Then, this modified genetic material is inserted into the eggs of grey wolves and implanted into ordinary dogs as surrogate mothers.

These photos and videos of newly born cubs flooded social media and shook the scientific community, but their reaction to the experiment was both enthusiastic and skeptical, as it reminded people of the popular movie Jurassic World in recent years. These people are concerned that if it continues, it may evolve into the situation depicted in the movie, as Wolves, as the top predators of the Ice Age, may disrupt the balance of modern ecosystems in terms of their size and diet. If introduced into the wild, wolves may overhunt deer herds or crossbreed with existing wolf species, threatening biodiversity.

The academic community generally believes that it is impossible to restore the complete biological characteristics of wolf terror, such as behavioral patterns, ecological adaptability, etc., solely through multiple gene edits. The genetic differences between wolves and grey wolves far exceed those between humans and chimpanzees, and their "resurrection" is essentially commercial marketing rather than scientific breakthroughs. Lysette Wetz, an ecologist and professor of wildlife resources at the University of Idaho, said, "This is not that terrifying wolf. This is something they have created with a wolf phobia phenotype." Wetz has conducted extensive research on gray wolf genetics and red wolf conservation issues, but despite this, he still calls this achievement a breakthrough.

The Colossal Biosciences team studied the DNA of two wolf fossils and compared them with the DNA of a living species, the gray wolf. The conclusion is that these two types of DNA are approximately 99.5% identical, and the analysis of the differences between the two types of DNA has determined which genes may be responsible for the size, muscle structure, and white fur of the terror wolf. Using this information, the team modified the blood cells of gray wolves by inserting some wolf fearing genes. A total of 20 modifications were made using the gene manipulation technique known as Crispr-Cas9, which is also used in human genetics. Then transfer the blood cells to the gray wolf egg cells implanted in the dog's body to obtain two so-called wolf cubs. The company also plans to apply this technology to dodo birds and woolly mammoths.

The company's Chief Scientific Officer, Beth Shapiro, stated that their goal is to create functional equivalents of these species, as it is never possible to create an animal that is 100% genetically identical to an extinct species. Some people believe that this gene editing technology can be used for endangered species conservation and ecological restoration, but it needs to be implemented under strict supervision.

Colossal's' Wolf Resurrection 'is actually closer to genetic engineering experiments rather than species rescue, with limited technological breakthroughs. However, it has sparked discussions from multiple perspectives on technological ethics, ecological security, and commercial interests. In the future, it is necessary to balance technological innovation and risk management to avoid the consequences of 'Jurassic Park style'.