When Colossal Biosciences announced the successful resurrection of the dire wolf in April 2025, it sent ripples through the scientific community. The achievement represents not just a milestone in de-extinction but also advances in genomics, reproductive biology, and conservation science. Experts from various fields have weighed in on the significance of this breakthrough, offering perspectives that highlight both the technical achievement and its broader implications.
Geneticists Applaud Technical Achievement
The genetic engineering behind the dire wolf resurrection has drawn particular praise from genomics experts. Dr. George Church, Harvard geneticist and Colossal co-founder, hailed the achievement as proof that their “end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works.” He noted that delivering 20 precise edits in a healthy animal is an unprecedented feat, calling it “the largest number of precise genomic edits in a vertebrate so far—a capability that is growing exponentially.”
This technical milestone—setting a new record for multiplex editing in a vertebrate—has significant implications beyond de-extinction. The ability to precisely edit multiple genes simultaneously opens new possibilities in genetic medicine, agriculture, and other fields.
Dr. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s Chief Science Officer and a leading ancient DNA expert, emphasized the computational breakthroughs involved. She celebrated the project as “a new standard for paleogenome reconstruction,” explaining that powerful computational tools and DNA recovery techniques allowed the team to link extinct DNA variants to key dire wolf traits. These advances in ancient DNA analysis could transform our understanding of extinct species across the board.
Validation from Genomics Researchers
Independent researchers have also recognized the significance of Colossal’s approach to genetic modification. Elinor Karlsson, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology at the UMass Chan Medical School and Director of Vertebrate Genomics at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, praised the team’s careful approach to engineering traits:
“When I learned of Colossal’s approach to engineering the light coat color into their dire wolves, I was simultaneously impressed and relieved,” said Karlsson. “By choosing to engineer in variants that have already passed evolution’s clinical trial, Colossal is demonstrating their dedication to an ethical approach to de-extinction.”
Karlsson’s assessment highlights an important aspect of Colossal’s work that has resonated with the scientific community: their emphasis on safety and careful consideration of genetic modifications. Rather than simply recreating extinct variants that might cause problems in a modern context, the team adapted their approach to achieve the same phenotypic outcomes through pathways known to be safe.
Conservation Community Enthusiasm
Conservation organizations and experts have been particularly positive about the potential applications of de-extinction technology to endangered species preservation. Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., CEO of the American Humane Society, praised Colossal for its high standards of animal welfare in raising the wolves, calling the company “a shining example of excellence in humane care.” She stated that “the technology they are pursuing may be the key to reversing the sixth mass extinction and making extinction events a thing of the past.”
Barney Long, Ph.D., Senior Director of Conservation Strategy for Re
, emphasized the broader technological implications: “Today’s dire wolf announcement represents an exciting scientific step and demonstrates the power and possibilities of genetic technologies. These technologies will likely transform the conservation of critically endangered species that still exist, and we are excited to apply them to prevent extinctions.”
This enthusiasm from conservation leaders suggests that de-extinction science is increasingly being viewed not as a distraction from conservation of existing species but as a source of valuable new tools for biodiversity preservation.
Wolf Experts Weigh In
Specialists in wolf biology and behavior have expressed particular interest in the resurrected dire wolves. Rick McIntyre, internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on wild wolf behavior and a member of Colossal’s Conservation Advisory Board, shared his excitement about the chance to study a previously extinct canid:
“I never thought I might live in a time when we have the science to bring back those species and restore them to selected sections of their former homeland,” McIntyre stated. “I have a dream that some time in the near future I can go back to Alaska, or a similar place in Northern Europe or Asia, and see those extinct species that have been brought back thanks to science. When that happens, I will begin to study the behavior of dire wolves.”
McIntyre’s enthusiasm highlights how the dire wolf resurrection offers unprecedented research opportunities. For the first time, scientists can directly observe the behavior of an extinct predator rather than inferring it from fossils and ecological models.
Wildlife Conservation Practitioners
Those working directly in endangered species recovery programs have noted the immediate practical applications of Colossal’s technologies. Mike Phillips, Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and project lead for rewilding gray wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, applauded the company’s broader vision:
“The extinction crisis is a massive, mostly unattended, and growing worldwide problem. I applaud Colossal for taking bold and innovative steps to arrest and reverse the crisis by developing cutting edge genetic techniques to undergird reintroduction efforts of imperiled species.”
Phillips specifically highlighted how the technologies could help with red wolf recovery: “Perfecting genomic tools to integrate ‘ghost alleles’ from Gulf Coast canids would increase red wolf genetic diversity and generate knowledge for recovering other imperiled species, like the bolson tortoise, that are compromised by restricted ranges and reduced genetic diversity.”
Similarly, Aurelia Skipwith, J.D., former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, emphasized the transformative potential: “Colossal is drastically changing the prognosis for countless endangered species around the world. The company’s work to combat extinction of the red wolf creates hope for so many other critically endangered species fighting for survival.”
Bioethics Perspectives
The ethical dimensions of de-extinction have been addressed by experts in bioethics who have engaged with Colossal’s work. Alta Charo, J.D., Professor of Law and Bioethics and Colossal’s Bioethics Lead, framed the achievement within a broader moral context:
“Whether due to natural or human-induced changes in climate, habitat and food source, the extinction of an untold number of species is a loss to our planet’s history and biodiversity. Modern genetics lets us peer into the past, and modern genetic engineering lets us recover what was lost and might yet thrive. Along the way, it invents the tools that let us protect what is still here.”
Charo’s perspective emphasizes humanity’s “unique capacity and moral obligation to steward the earth for the benefit of ourselves and all living things, for now and for the future,” positioning de-extinction as an extension of broader environmental ethics rather than a technological novelty.
From Academic Researchers to Field Scientists
The range of scientific reactions extends from computational biologists to field researchers. Dr. Christopher Mason, a scientific advisor and member of the board of observers for Colossal, characterized the achievement as “transformative” and heralding “an entirely new era of human stewardship of life.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Dan Flores, A. B. Hammond Professor Emeritus of the History of the American West at the University of Montana-Missoula, offered a historian’s perspective:
“As someone who’s fascinated with canids—I’ve written about coyotes and wolves—the idea of being able to have dire wolves again is tremendously, personally exciting, and I think it’s going to be exciting to a lot of people. An organization like Colossal, to me, is one of the things that gives me hope.”
Flores connected the dire wolf resurrection to a broader historical context, referencing Henry David Thoreau’s 1850s lament that he wasn’t getting to experience “an entire heaven and an entire Earth” due to species losses even then. “And I think that’s something to look forward to,” Flores concluded.
Looking Toward Future Developments
Across these varied scientific perspectives, a common theme emerges: the dire wolf resurrection represents not just a single achievement but the opening of new possibilities for research, conservation, and our relationship with the natural world.
Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt, Princeton Associate Professor of Evolutionary Genomics and Epigenetics, summarized this forward-looking sentiment: “We now have the technology that can edit DNA to increase resilience in species that are facing extinction or to revive extinct genetic diversity and species. We get to witness the de-extinction of the dire wolf, which is a marvel of scientific progress, and just the start of numerous species we can bring back to create a better, more habitable, and balanced world.”
As the three dire wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—continue to grow and develop under careful scientific monitoring, researchers across disciplines will be watching closely. Their observations and analyses will not only increase our understanding of this once-extinct predator but also help shape how de-extinction technology is applied to future conservation challenges.
