An American genetic engineering company that has been working to de-extinct ancient species like the woolly mammoth and the dodo bird stunned the world by revealing that they have revived the dire wolf, a species that has been extinct for over 12,500 years.
Colossal Biosciences announced what is now being called the "world’s first de-extinction" with the birth of three dire wolf puppies named -- Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi.
The news took the internet by storm with billionaire Elon Musk sharing his desire to have miniature versions of extinct species as pets. The X account of Hollywood blockbuster movie Jurrassic World, a reboot of the original Jurassic Park that revolves around the chaos that unfolds after the revival of dinosaurs, also joined the conversation.
"We see no possible way this could go wrong," the account said in a post, reacting to the Time magazine cover about the return of the dire wolf.
Take a look at the post here:
The hilarious quip left many on the internet in stitches. "You've literally warned us for over 30 years and people are still not listening," joked one user.
{{/usCountry}}The hilarious quip left many on the internet in stitches. "You've literally warned us for over 30 years and people are still not listening," joked one user.
{{/usCountry}}Another said, "AI robots, self-driving cars, reviving extinct animals. It's like scientists have never been to the movies."
"Give your social media intern a raise this is a top tier tweet," remarked a third user.
How dire wolf was revived
Colossal Biosciences revealed that it was able to revive the extinct species 10,000 years after it disappeared using genetic engineering. The wolves were revived using genetic edits derived from a complete dire wolf genome, reconstructed from ancient DNA found in fossils dating back 11,500 and 72,000 years.
"Our team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies. It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation," Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm said.