Successfully revived 3 white wolves after 12,500 years of extinction

Three white wolves Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi have re-emerged thanks to advanced genetic engineering, leaving scientists amazed at the potential for species revival.

According to the announcement of the biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, the white wolf species that became extinct 12,500 years ago has been revived thanks to genetic technology. Colossal Biosciences experts released images of three snow-white wolves and called it " the world's first species revival".

The white wolf (Aenocyon dirus) became extinct at the end of the last Ice Age. By creating identical wolf pups, Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm said the company has created healthy white wolf pups and resurrected the carnivore after 12,500 years of extinction.

To create the pups, scientists extracted DNA from two prehistoric white wolf fossils: a 13,000-year-old tooth discovered in Sheridan Pit, Ohio, and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone from American Falls in Idaho.

Using the DNA, the team pieced together the white wolf’s local genome. They then compared it to the genomes of its closest relatives, the wolf, the jackal, and the fox. Based on the results, they chose the gray wolf (Canis lupus) as the egg donor for the white wolf’s resurrection, even though the two species are not closely related.

The process of reviving a white wolf requires egg cells from a living animal to contain and develop the genetic material of the animal scientists want to create. After selecting a gray wolf, the team at Colossal Biosciences collected cells from a gray wolf blood sample and modified them to resemble cells found in a white wolf fossil.

Using CRISPR gene editing technology, the team made a total of 20 edits to 14 genes that they identified as important for giving the white wolf its distinct traits.

Next, the team inserted the DNA from the edited cell into a gray wolf egg cell after removing its genetic material. At this stage, the gray wolf egg cell contained all the genetic information needed to create a wolf pup with some white wolf characteristics.

The egg cells are then matured in the laboratory. The embryos are implanted into the uterus of purebred dogs, considered to be a subspecies of gray wolf.

Thanks to this process, the first two white wolves were born on October 1, 2024. They were named Romulus and Remus. The two individuals are kept in captivity and are constantly monitored in a nature reserve surrounded by a 3m high fence.

On January 30, 2025, Colossal Biosciences welcomed its third white wolf, named Khaleesi. Photo: Colossal Biosciences.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Behind the success of scientists. Source: VTV24.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/hoi-sinh-thanh-cong-3-con-soi-trang-sau-12500-nam-tuyet-chung-post2149045877.html