CREATION’S CORNER #47: ARE DIRE WOLVES BACK FROM EXTINCTION?

Colossal Bioscience made a colossal announcement this week – the dire wolf is back from extinction! This is the same research group that is planning to bring the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction. It was announced that 3 litters of dire wolf puppies yielded 2 males named Romulus and Remus (shown above) and a female named Khaleesi. Is this for real and is it even possible? What is really known?

Dire wolves have been extinct since the end of the last ice age approximately 12,500 years ago. We also know that Genetic information has been collected from dire wolf fossils and the full DNA structure is now known. So how do we get from the collection of ancient DNA to a living and breathing dire wolf? Is de-extinction possible?

The actual process used by Colossal Bioscience to bring a species back from extinction involves advanced genetic engineering and the use of a gene editing process known as “CRISPR”. I will give you the “quick and dirty” version. Imagine having the DNA of a typical gray wolf laying out on the table in front of you. On an adjacent table you have the DNA of a dire wolf. These are two similar species with quite similar DNA. Compare the DNA of the two different species and determine where the dire wolf DNA differs from that of the gray wolf. In each case where the dire wolf DNA differs from the gray wolf, use CRISPR to clip out each unique dire wolf DNA segment and insert it into the corresponding location in the gray wolf DNA, replacing that section of gray wolf’s DNA. Repeat that process until all unique sections of the dire wolf’s DNA have been moved to the gray wolf DNA. The gray wolf DNA now is a hybrid DNA containing all the unique genetic information of the dire wolf. Next obtain a wolf egg. Remove the nucleus of the egg and insert the hybrid DNA of the gray/dire wolf. Place the egg in the uterus of a female wolf and hope for the best. The gestation time for the gray wolf is 62 to 75 days.

Fossils of dire wolves have been found from Alaska south as far as Peru and Bolivia. They ranged across north America but did not occur in Europe and Asia. Averaging about 150 lbs., dire wolves were about 25% larger than corresponding gray wolves. The reason for their extinction is speculative, but likely relates to climate change and the loss of prey species. Several other large mammals occurred in the same general habitat including mammoths, mastodons the American bison, the Hagerman horse and Jefferson’s ground sloth. Their fur color was white.

So, is the dire wolf now back from extinction? The answer is yes and no. There are now three individual wolves that have dire wolf genes, but they are gray/dire wolf hybrids. It will be interesting to see what unique dire wolf features are present as they reach adulthood. They will likely be fully fertile and will produce offspring. Is it likely in the future that we will encounter dire wolves when we visit Yellowstone or other national parks? Very unlikely, but you may be able to see one in a zoo or animal park.

Perhaps a bigger question is whether this effort in de-extinction should have happened. Does having the ability to do something make it right? For Christians, this question relates to our role as stewards. What was the ultimate cause of the extinction? Was it due to “natural” events or were humans the driving force? Or does that make a difference? What is our role as steward and is there an unmarked line that we should not cross? Does Hebrews 1:3 help answer this question? Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word”. What do you think?

Our Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have given humanity great knowledge and the ability to accomplish tasks that until recently seemed impossible. We could only dream! But today is a new day! We ask for humility, wisdom, and grace to know the difference between right and wrong and the will and motivation to choose correctly. Thank you. Amen.

Thanks for listening.

— Joe Sheldon

Direct comments to Joe Sheldon at [email protected]

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