Imagine a wondrous world where animals that resemble wild woolly mammoths and dull-colored dodo birds roam. Imagine seeing animals that were once thought to be unfortunate victims of Mother Nature. Imagine humankind yielding the power of creation, and the potential of de-extinction. With the technology that is in our hands, there is no longer any need to imagine, as dire wolves have been brought back from extinction. However, this momentous accomplishment may seem too good to be true. As with any technology, where does the line between ethics and science exist? Even more unsettling is the question of what happens next. What else can we bring back and should we? The emergence of the dire wolves is a symbol of revolutionary advancement within science.
Dire wolves went extinct approximately 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. They are now back, with the help of the scientists at the $10 billion biotech company known as Colossal Bioscience. Scientists were able to utilize genetic engineering alongside preserved DNA of the dire wolf, and rewrite the genetic code of the common gray wolf to match their understanding of the dire wolf. The recently-born dire wolves, named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, mark a turning point in scientific research and innovation. De-extinction has been something discussed and researched for many years, and now it has become a reality. However, this has brought about debate and discussions regarding the ethics of this situation. While some scientists have eagerly celebrated this scientific breakthrough, others have believed that the dire wolves are hybrids or genetically modified gray wolves. The genome of the dire wolf shares 99.5 percent of similarities with the genome of the gray wolf, intensifying this debate. Furthermore, the de-extinction of any past animal calls into question what happens next. However controversial the dire wolves may be, their existence allows for the possibilities of conservation efforts for species that are currently endangered, as well as bringing back other extinct animal species. Scientists have recently genetically engineered mice with certain key characteristics of the woolly mammoth. This successful experiment validates the potential for de-extinction, and to bring back other extinct species such as the Dodo bird and Tasmanian tiger. With the scientific breakthrough of dire wolves, we are on the brink of a revolution in science.
