Colossal's 'Dire Wolves': Gene Editing Sparks Controversy
2025-04-08

Colossal Biosciences claims to have resurrected the extinct dire wolf, using gene editing to create grey wolf pups—Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi—with some dire wolf traits. However, studies show grey wolves and dire wolves diverged 6 million years ago, with significant genetic differences. Colossal's claim of achieving this with only 20 gene edits is controversial. The three gene-edited pups are under observation in a reserve, and breeding is prohibited. This raises questions about species definition and the ethical challenges of gene editing.
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