Can Dire Wolf Scientists Bring Back the Dinosaurs, Woolly Mammoth & Dodo Bird?
Now that a "de-extinction" company says it has revived the dire wolf species that was extinct for over 10,000 years, could dinosaurs and the woolly mammoth be next? What about the dodo bird?
The answer may be found in the methods that Colossal Biosciences used to bring back the dire wolf and whether there is genetic material available for the other extinct species. In fact, according to CNN, the company is trying to resurrect other extinct species. Colossal Biosciences has been "working toward resurrecting the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger since 2021," wrote CNN.
The company confirmed this on its website, writing, "The dire wolf isn't the only animal that Colossal, which was founded in 2021 and currently employs 130 scientists, wants to bring back. Also on their de-extinction wish list is the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger. Already, in March, the company surprised the science community with the news that it had copied mammoth DNA to create a woolly mouse, a chimeric critter with the long, golden coat and the accelerated fat metabolism of the mammoth."
Colossal Biosciences has an entire page devoted to its efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth. "Colossal's landmark de-extinction project will be the resurrection of the woolly mammoth - or more specifically a cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth," the website notes.
"It will walk like a woolly mammoth, look like one, sound like one, but most importantly it will be able to inhabit the same ecosystem previously abandoned by the mammoth's extinction."
In January, The Washington Post reported that a scientist was trying to bring back the dodo bird. A 2024 article by BBC Wildlife noted that, in 2022, a geneticist "decoded the dodo's genome. Scientists at Colossal are now determining the sequences which they will edit into cells collected from the dodo's closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon. Then, just as for the passenger pigeon, the edited cells will be used to create adult birds that create dodo sperm and eggs."
As for dinosaurs, according to Listverse, "The consensus is that dinosaurs cannot be resurrected because their fossils are simply too old to provide any useful tissue." But who knows? Listverse lists saber-tooth tigers and woolly mammoths as other species scientists want to resurrect.
The Natural History Museum described the difficulties in bringing back dinosaurs in depth. For starters, dinosaur DNA would have to be obtained.
"We do have mosquitos and biting flies from the time of the dinosaurs and they do preserve in amber. But when amber preserves things, it tends to preserve the husk, not the soft tissues. So you don't get blood preserved inside mosquitos in amber," Dr. Susie Maidment, a dinosaur researcher, said in that article.
"DNA breaks down over time. The dinosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago and with so much time having passed, it is very unlikely that any dinosaur DNA would remain today," The Natural History Museum concluded. "While dinosaur bones can survive for millions of years, dinosaur DNA almost certainly does not."
But the site added: "Some scientists continue to search for it - just in case."
But Colossal Biosciences says the dire wolf is back.
"These two wolves were brought back from extinction using genetic edits derived from a complete dire wolf genome, meticulously reconstructed by Colossal from ancient DNA found in fossils dating back 11,500 and 72,000 years," the company wrote on X.
"This moment marks not only a milestone for us as a company but also a leap forward for science, conservation, and humanity. From the beginning, our goal has been clear: 'To revolutionize history and be the first company to use CRISPR technology successfully in the de-extinction of previously lost species,'' the company added.
"By achieving this, we continue to push forward our broader mission on—accepting humanity's duty to restore Earth to a healthier state. But this isn't just our moment—it's one for science, our planet, and humankind. All of which we love and are passionate about. Now, close your eyes and listen to that howl once more. Think about what this means for all of us," Colossal Biosciences wrote.
"Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies," the company noted.
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