10-04-2025
How a Des Moines professor helped de-extinct the dire wolf
A professor of anatomy at Des Moines University contributed research to revive the extinct dire wolf — or something similar to a dire wolf, given that she is among scientists who question the animal's classification.
Why it matters: Julie Meachen's work uncovering ancient animal DNA may help save endangered species or even de-extinct others.
Driving the news: Texas company Colossal Biosciences announced this week that it had successfully edited genes of gray wolves with key features of dire wolves and implanted embryos in surrogate dog mothers.
Three healthy animals with dire wolf characteristics — long, thick white fur and bodies as much as 25% bigger than gray wolves — were born in October and are being kept at an undisclosed U.S. location.
Catch up quick: Meachen is the lead investigator of a team of scientists exploring Natural Trap Cave in Wyoming, where Ice Age animal remains are being studied.
She was among a team of scientists who authored a 2021 paper about the retrieval of DNA from fossils of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago.
Zoom in: Meachen was not involved in creating the wolf pups but provided DNA samples collected from animal remains in Idaho and Ohio to help fine-tune the de-extinction project.
The dire wolf project would have been possible without her input but would not have been as accurate, she tells Axios.
The intrigue: Meachen says she doesn't believe the pups unveiled this week are dire wolves but, instead, are genetically modified gray wolves.
"They are basically transgenic gray wolves with dire wolf DNA inside them," she said.
Yes, but: She said the technology is exciting and is already being used to boost genetic diversity in endangered species.
"Even though the scientist in me is skeptical about creating extinct animals, the kid in me wants to see what they look like," Meachen said.
What's next: Meachen will lead another project at Natural Trap Cave this summer.
Colossal is working on a project that could de-extinct the woolly mammoth.
