Scientists claim to have returned the horrible wolf

The study of the Dire Wolf genome also allowed the colossal team to understand which characteristics distinguished the ancient wolf from their modern relatives. They settled on features, including size, muscles, hair color, hair texture, hair length and hair modeling. They then used a gene editing to change the genome of cells from the closest life of Dire Wolf – the gray wolf. A total of the company made 20 unique editions of 14 genes in the genome of the gray wolf. Of these, 15 were intended to reproduce extinct variants of the Dire Wolf gene. Colossal claims that this is a record number of unique genetic edits made to each animal.

But the genome of the terrible wolf is still almost identical to that of the Gray Wolf. This raises a difficult question: are these wolves really terrible wolves or just genetically edited gray wolves? Lam, of course, says the animals are terrible wolves. “We call them terrible wolves,” he says. “The interesting thing is that the specification is an area where scientists seem to agree.” One species is often determined by a combination of genetic and physically visible characteristics, including teeth and shape, size and color of their body.

George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard University, who co -founded the company with Lam, says the goal is to ultimately produce an animal with the full genome of a missing dare wolf. “Meanwhile, we prioritize all the traits that actually define the species,” he says.

Shapiro also says the edits are significant enough to call the new animals horrible wolves. “If we can look at this animal and see what it does, and it looks like a terrible wolf and acts like a terrible wolf, I will call it a terrible wolf. And my colleagues who are taxonomists will not agree with me.”

David Yachovski, Professor of Conservation at Clemson University in South Carolina, says that there is “some subjectivity” when it comes to determining the species and that the role that the animal plays in its ecosystem can be as important as its genetics. There is also a “huge marketing value for wildlife conservation” to announce Vidov Delicating, says Yachovski, who did not know specific details about the Dire Wolf project.

To make the terrible wolf, the colosion started with a blood drawn from a gray wolf. Working on a type of blood cells called an epithelial progenitor cell, the team edits DNA so that it more fits the genome of the terrible wolf. They then took the genetic material from this cell and placed it in the egg cell of a pet dog, which was removed its genetic material. After this egg has become an embryo, it is implanted into a surrogate dog.

Eight surrounds are needed and an average of 45 surround embryos to obtain small wolves. Two surrogates gave birth to Romulus and Remus, and a third produced Haleessi. Five of embryo transfers did not lead to a successful pregnancy. A second woman was born in January with Halleesi, but she died after 10 days of bowel infection.