This article was originally posted on Inside Climate News by Kiley Price.
Since time immemorial, animal and plant species have performed an evolutionary dance with the environment around them, developing adaptations to respond to shifts in the climate and landscape.
But there is one factor that can permanently halt this ever-changing waltz: extinction.
Now, a U.S.-based biotechnology company is challenging this fundamental truth—arguing that extinction may not be as eternal as we once thought. On Monday, Colossal Biosciences announced that it had used a complex genetic process to bring back the dire wolf—an imposing lupine that roamed North America long ago before the species met its demise.
The process, which the company dubs “de-extinction,” marks “the first time in human history” that such a feat has been accomplished, according to Colossal’s website. This announcement has been met with near-equal parts excitement and skepticism by the general public and scientific community. Most experts agree that these animals aren’t truly dire wolves, but rather a genetically tweaked version of modern-day gray wolves.
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