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Fact check: The news about scientists genetically modifying a direwolf
1. Summary of the results
Colossal Biosciences has announced the creation of three genetically modified wolf pups (named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi) using DNA extracted from ancient dire wolf fossils [1]. The company used DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to modify gray wolf genes [2]. However, the genetic modifications are minimal - only 20 edits corresponding to 15 protein-encoding genes, which has been compared to about 50 single-letter typos in a 250-page novel [3]. The pups were born between October 2024 and January 2025 [4].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:
- Dire wolves and gray wolves diverged approximately 6 million years ago and are not closely related species [5]
- These animals cannot perform the ecological functions of original dire wolves [6]
- Scientists argue these are more accurately described as "designer dogs" rather than resurrected dire wolves [7]
- The genetic and physical resemblance falls short of a full revival, with the animals only able to "look superficially like something else" [6]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The primary source of potential misinformation comes from how this scientific achievement is being marketed:
- Colossal Biosciences benefits from presenting this as a "restoration" or "de-extinction" of dire wolves [4], when in reality, these are genetically modified gray wolves with artificially added characteristics [5]
- The company's marketing approach has been criticized as being more hype than scientific breakthrough [3]
- German sources specifically label this as a "marketing stunt" rather than a genuine scientific achievement [5]
- The term "genetically modifying a direwolf" is misleading - they are modifying gray wolves to resemble dire wolves, not modifying actual dire wolves [1]
The narrative benefits Colossal Biosciences' commercial interests by positioning them as achieving a scientific breakthrough in de-extinction, when the actual achievement is more modest in scope.