Reviving Extinct Species: Science or Risky Experiment?
The Rise of De-Extinction
Mammoths, dodo birds, Tasmanian tigers, and even dire wolves—species long thought lost to history—may one day walk the Earth again. Thanks to rapid advances in genetic engineering, what once sounded like science fiction is becoming scientific reality. Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology company at the forefront of this movement, has already announced the birth of young dire wolves carrying Ice Age genes.
But the question remains: is this groundbreaking progress toward ecosystem restoration, or a dangerous experiment with unpredictable consequences?
Colossal Biosciences and Their Bold Vision
Colossal Biosciences aims to resurrect extinct species not for novelty, but to restore ecosystems and combat climate change. Their most ambitious projects include bringing back woolly mammoths and the Tasmanian tiger. Scientists envision reintroducing these species into the wild to regenerate damaged habitats and enhance biodiversity.
For example, the last mammoths disappeared roughly 4,000 years ago due to climate change and human hunting. Today, their former home—the Arctic—is under threat from thawing permafrost. This frozen ground acts as the planet’s natural freezer, trapping organic matter that, if released, could emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases. Scientists hope genetically engineered mammoth–elephant hybrids could help stabilize the tundra ecosystem and slow permafrost melt.
How De-Extinction Works
The process begins by combining ancient DNA extracted from fossils with the genomes of the closest living relatives of extinct animals. In the case of mammoths, this means merging their DNA with that of the Asian elephant, which shares more than 98% similarity.
Key traits such as thick fur, insulating fat, and cold resistance are reconstructed in the lab. Hybrid embryos are then created and either implanted into surrogate elephants or placed into artificial wombs—another technology currently under development.
Colossal Biosciences predicts that by the mid-2030s, the first mammoth-like creatures could be born.
Dire Wolves Return: A Modern Breakthrough
To demonstrate progress, the company recently introduced three genetically modified wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Kesi—containing traits of the long-extinct dire wolf. Using genetic editing, researchers inserted 20 genes from fossils up to 70,000 years old into gray wolf cells.
The result: animals larger than modern wolves, with thick white fur and physical traits resembling their Ice Age ancestors. While the choice of white coats may have been influenced by pop culture, such as Game of Thrones, the achievement highlights the potential of gene editing to revive traits lost for millennia.
Beyond Wolves: Dodos and Tasmanian Tigers
Other targets include the Tasmanian tiger, extinct since the 1930s, and the dodo bird, lost in the 17th century. DNA samples from these species, while less complete than mammoths, are being reconstructed using genetic sequences from related animals.
The Tasmanian tiger project is relatively advanced, thanks to high-quality DNA and a suitable marsupial comparison species. The dodo poses greater challenges due to degraded genetic material, but efforts are ongoing.
Ethical and Ecological Questions
Despite the excitement, many scientists warn that these “resurrected” animals are not perfect replicas. They are hybrids—close in form and behavior to extinct species, but genetically distinct. This raises serious ecological and ethical concerns:
- Adaptation: Modern ecosystems are vastly different from those that existed thousands of years ago. Will these creatures survive—or struggle?
- Learning Behaviors: Without ancestors to teach them survival skills, can reintroduced animals truly function as their predecessors did?
- Resource Allocation: Should billions be spent reviving extinct species, or protecting endangered ones that still exist today?
Funding and Future Prospects
Colossal Biosciences has already secured over $450 million in investment, highlighting the confidence in de-extinction as a potential industry. Supporters argue that beyond bringing back species, the technology will generate breakthroughs in conservation, such as developing vaccines for elephants or boosting genetic diversity in critically endangered rhinos.
Beyond mammoths, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers, other potential candidates include the passenger pigeon—once North America’s most numerous bird—and aurochs, ancient ancestors of cattle. Restoring these species could reestablish vital ecological functions lost with their extinction.
A New Chapter in Earth’s Story
What once seemed like a scene from science fiction is becoming reality. The birth of dire wolf–inspired pups marks only the beginning of this new chapter in biology. As technology advances, humanity faces a profound choice: whether to use genetic resurrection as a tool for ecological restoration or risk creating unforeseen consequences.
For now, one thing is certain—the concept of extinction is no longer as permanent as it once was.
*Image by wirestock on Freepik
