The paradox of survival: Learning to live from the extinct

What is the point of Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi? Somewhere, in an undisclosed location, these wolf cubs are roaming their den – whiter, bigger and far more ethically problematic than wolves should be, writes The Times...

The father of synthetic biology aspires to revive a mammoth with the tools of genetic editing, a project with chiaroscuros, like the rest of his brilliant careerNeither are giant wolves nor the species has been “extinguished”: why Colossal’s announcement is pure propaganda American scientist George Church is a genius with charlatan ideas. His name is involved in almost all the great achievements of biotechnology in recent decades, from the Human…

Is the Dire Wolf Truly Back from the Dead?

It’s a quarter past one in the afternoon in Dallas when I meet bearded billionaire Ben Lamm, the 43-year-old denim-jacketed CEO of Colossal Biosciences, who claims to have reintroduced dire wolves into the world after more than 10,000 years of extinction. The three animals, it turns out, are currently living, Truman Show–like, in a 2,000-acre enclosure in an undisclosed location, under round-the-clock surveillance. The six-month-old males are na…

Washington, United States. Images of white fur wolves like snow flooded social networks after being presented by an American company as a genetic success that resurrected a giant canine from prehistory. But the scientific world is divided between enthusiasm and skepticism. The start-up Colossal Biosciences, based in Texas, gave a publicity blow this week by spreading photos and videos of what he describes as three young “dirus wolves” or “huargo…

‘Return’ of the dire wolf is an impressive feat of genetic engineering, not a reversal of extinction

Dallas-based biotech company Colossal has announced the birth of three pups bearing the DNA signatures of dire wolves, an iconic predator last seen roaming North America over 10,000 years ago. With their names Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi, these pups are playing to the cultural imagination, blending ancient mythology with fantasy fiction. Romulus and Remus nod […] The post ‘Return’ of the dire wolf is an impressive feat of genetic engineering, no…

Field Museum curator downplays 'dire wolf' breakthrough claim: 'It’s a little overhyped'

This week another curious bit of science came in the crosshairs of pop culture as biotech company Colossal Biosciences claimed to have “resurrected” the dire wolf. The long-extinct carnivorous mammal, familiar to fans of “Game of Thrones” hasn’t been alive for more than 10,000 years and its purported “de-extinction” brings to mind the storyline of “Jurassic Park.”But, as scientists at the Field Museum explain, don’t believe the hype. “I hate to …