Latest news with #VincentLynch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The dire wolf is (kind of) back
The dire wolf is back—sort of. Biotech firm Colossal Biosciences used DNA from dire wolf fossils and surrogate dogs to produce three wolf pups. But University at Buffalo biologist Vincent Lynch says the results merely recreate the animal's outward appearance, not the species itself. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm joined The Beat to explain why they sequenced the genome—and why a real-life "Jurassic Park" isn't on the horizon.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Are dire wolves de-extinct? Genetically engineered pups spark controversy
Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed secure location in the U.S., according to the company that aims to bring back lost species. The wolf pups, which range in age from three to six months old, have long white hair, muscular jaws and already weigh in at around 80 pounds — on track to reach 140 pounds at maturity, researchers at Colossal Biosciences reported Monday. Dire wolves, which went extinct more than 10,000 years old, are much larger than gray wolves, their closest living relatives today. Independent scientists said this latest effort doesn't mean dire wolves are coming back to North American grasslands any time soon. 'All you can do now is make something look superficially like something else'— not fully revive extinct species, said Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University at Buffalo who was not involved in the research. Colossal scientists learned about specific traits that dire wolves possessed by examining ancient DNA from fossils. The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho, both part of natural history museum collections. Then the scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites, said Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro. They transferred that genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. When ready, embryos were transferred to surrogates, also domestic dogs, and 62 days later the genetically engineered pups were born. Colossal has previously announced similar projects to genetically alter cells from living species to create animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths, dodos and others. Though the pups may physically resemble young dire wolves, 'what they will probably never learn is the finishing move of how to kill a giant elk or a big deer,' because they won't have opportunities to watch and learn from wild dire wolf parents, said Colossal's chief animal care expert Matt James. Colossal also reported today that it had cloned four red wolves using blood drawn from wild wolves of the southeastern U.S.'s critically endangered red wolf population. The aim is to bring more genetic diversity into the small population of captive red wolves, which scientists are using to breed and help save the species. This technology may have broader application for conservation of other species because it's less invasive than other techniques to clone animals, said Christopher Preston, a wildlife expert at the University of Montana who was not involved in the research. But it still requires a wild wolf to be sedated for a blood draw and that's no simple feat, he added. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said the team met with officials from the U.S. Interior Department in late March about the project. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praised the work on X on Monday as a 'thrilling new era of scientific wonder' even as outside scientists said there are limitations to restoring the past. 'Whatever ecological function the dire wolf performed before it went extinct, it can't perform those functions' on today's existing landscapes, said Buffalo's Lynch. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
5 extinct species we hope science never brings back
(NEXSTAR) — This week, a Texas-based biosciences company, which aims to 'de-extinct' animal species of the past (and ones that will go extinct in the future), said it managed to engineer three dire wolves — which have been extinct for over 10,000 years. Though Colossal Biosciences has described the scientific feat as 'bringing back the first animal from extinction,' there are others in the community who disagree with the viability of the concept. This includes University of Buffalo biologist Vincent Lynch, who told the Associated Press that current technology can only 'make something look superficially like something else.' This casual dining chain just dethroned Olive Garden as U.S.' most popular Scientific disputes aside, the possibility of the return of the dire wolf has set the internet aflutter with more talk about the idea of a real 'Jurassic Park.' With that in mind, here are a few extinct species we hope scientists never revive. The ancient crocodiles of the Deinosuchus genus grew as large as a school bus and are notably believed to prey on large dinosaurs — like the T-rex — by ambushing them near prehistoric shores. These 'super croc' apex predators had six-inch teeth and were, at one time, the largest predator in North America, according to the Western Australian Museum. They weighed up to 7 tons and scientists note that fossils of other apex predators even show bite marks believed to be exacted by this ancient monster. 'Blaze star' might go nova soon; what to expect These giant predatory dragonfly-like insects are one of the largest-known flying insect species of all-time (if not the) with a wingspan of up to 2.5 feet, according to Furman University. If a mega flying insect isn't scary enough for you, it's also a carnivore, though Meganeura mostly ate only other insects and small animals. Well, the name pretty much says it all. The largest snake known to have existed, Titanoboa grew roughly 50 feet long and three feet wide, according to Florida Museum of Natural History. For comparison, the average school bus is about 35-45 long. The cheapest time to visit Walt Disney World might surprise you At one point, Titanoboa was the largest known predator on the planet, the museum explains, and likely weighed at least one ton. Of Titanoboa's size and heft, Smithsonian Magazine says 'the thickest part of its body would be nearly as high as a man's waist.' The creature (which is just begging to be the subject of an action-thriller) was known to lurk in swampy waters, where it preyed on crocodiles and other aquatic predators. The flightless, carnivorous birds of the Phorusrhacidae family were truly the stuff of nightmares. 'Terror birds,' as they're most commonly referred to, stood at up to 10 feet, weighed up to 300 pounds, and had the ability to run up to 30 mph after its prey, according to University of Maryland. These sharp-taloned and aggressive birds likely crushed their prey with their slightly hook-ended beaks and were able to kill both big and small targets with ease. It's a shark with a saw for a jaw (kind of). Helicoprion was a genus of shark-like fish most known for their odd lower-jaw 'tooth whorls,' which looked like the blade of a buzzsaw and were equipped with 14 or so serrated teeth, Western Australian Museum explains. Tom Cruise to return to Cannes with 'Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning' Again, though the creature resembles a shark, research shows it's closer in relation to ratfish. University of Idaho explains that some helicoprion grew to over 30 feet (the average modern-day male great white shark only grows to around 13 feet) and ate squids, sharks and other fish. Finally, there were a slew of other extinct creatures we wanted to highlight but just couldn't find the perfect pictures for. For next steps, do a Google search of gigantopithecus blacki (a 10-foot tall ape) and the giant short-faced bears of the Arctodus family, which also grew up to about 10 feet tall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arab News
08-04-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Scientists genetically engineer wolves like the extinct dire wolf
NEW YORK: Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed secure location in the US, according to the company that aims to bring back lost species. The wolf pups, which range in age from three to six months old, have long white hair, muscular jaws and already weigh in at around 80 pounds — on track to reach 140 pounds at maturity, researchers at Colossal Biosciences reported Monday. Dire wolves, which went extinct more than 10,000 years old, are much larger than gray wolves, their closest living relatives today. Independent scientists said this latest effort doesn't mean dire wolves are coming back to North American grasslands any time soon. 'All you can do now is make something look superficially like something else'— not fully revive extinct species, said Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University at Buffalo who was not involved in the research. Colossal scientists learned about specific traits that dire wolves possessed by examining ancient DNA from fossils. The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho, both part of natural history museum collections. Then the scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites, said Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro. They transferred that genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. When ready, embryos were transferred to surrogates, also domestic dogs, and 62 days later the genetically engineered pups were born. Colossal has previously announced similar projects to genetically alter cells from living species to create animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths, dodos and others.
Nahar Net
08-04-2025
- Science
- Nahar Net
Scientists genetically engineer wolves like the extinct dire wolf
by Naharnet Newsdesk 08 April 2025, 18:07 Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed secure location in the U.S., according to the company that aims to bring back lost species. The wolf pups, which range in age from three to six months old, have long white hair, muscular jaws and already weigh in at around 80 pounds — on track to reach 140 pounds at maturity, researchers at Colossal Biosciences reported Monday. Dire wolves, which went extinct more than 10,000 years old, are much larger than gray wolves, their closest living relatives today. Independent scientists said this latest effort doesn't mean dire wolves are coming back to North American grasslands any time soon. "All you can do now is make something look superficially like something else"— not fully revive extinct species, said Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University at Buffalo who was not involved in the research. Colossal scientists learned about specific traits that dire wolves possessed by examining ancient DNA from fossils. The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho, both part of natural history museum collections. Then the scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites, said Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro. They transferred that genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. When ready, embryos were transferred to surrogates, also domestic dogs, and 62 days later the genetically engineered pups were born. Colossal has previously announced similar projects to genetically alter cells from living species to create animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths, dodos and others. Though the pups may physically resemble young dire wolves, "what they will probably never learn is the finishing move of how to kill a giant elk or a big deer," because they won't have opportunities to watch and learn from wild dire wolf parents, said Colossal's chief animal care expert Matt James. Colossal also reported today that it had cloned four red wolves using blood drawn from wild wolves of the southeastern U.S.'s critically endangered red wolf population. The aim is to bring more genetic diversity into the small population of captive red wolves, which scientists are using to breed and help save the species. This technology may have broader application for conservation of other species because it's less invasive than other techniques to clone animals, said Christopher Preston, a wildlife expert at the University of Montana who was not involved in the research. But it still requires a wild wolf to be sedated for a blood draw and that's no simple feat, he added. Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said the team met with officials from the U.S. Interior Department in late March about the project. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praised the work on X on Monday as a "thrilling new era of scientific wonder" even as outside scientists said there are limitations to restoring the past. "Whatever ecological function the dire wolf performed before it went extinct, it can't perform those functions" on today's existing landscapes, said Buffalo's Lynch.
