By: Annabelle Pan

Graphics Editor

With over five billion species extinct and one million currently at risk, most conservation organizations focus on protecting endangered species. Colossal Biosciences Inc., though, is an exception. Colossal, located in Dallas, Texas, is the world’s first de-extinction company, aiming to bring back animals like the dodo bird, Tasmanian tiger, and woolly mammoth.

Focusing on restoring woolly mammoths, Colossal’s scientists analyze remaining samples of mammoth DNA recovered from the Siberian permafrost, a frozen environment that traps carbon and prevents decay. They compared the samples to living animals, identifying that the Asian elephant is the mammoth’s closest relative. The scientists plan to genetically alter Asian elephant embryos, creating woolly mammoths upon birth. The team first tested the modifications on mice to produce long, dirty-blond hair that mimics the cold-protecting fur of mammoths. These genetically modified subjects are called woolly mice, and they pass down the appearance to their offspring. The experiment confirms that the scientists are modifying the correct genes.

Before tackling the de-extinction of woolly mammoths, Colossal worked on creating dire wolves, which resemble gray wolves but have larger skulls and stronger teeth. Using the same method of genetically modifying the closest living relative, gray wolves, Colossal successfully created wolves that appear and act similarly to dire wolves. However, critics argue that the experiment did not create real dire wolves; Colossal merely altered the appearance of gray wolves. Similarly, they reason that the woolly mammoths would only be Asian elephants with shaggy coats. Critics also assert that de-extinction would be unethical and could result in a real-life Jurassic Park.

Despite the opposing arguments, Colossal’s team believes that reviving the woolly mammoth will help increase the resilience of cold habitats to climate change, slowing down global warming. The Siberian permafrost releases carbon as it melts, expediting global warming, which in turn melts more ice. Russian scientists Sergei and Nikita Zimov found that bringing back animals that used to live in Siberia, like reindeer, bison, and horses, made the permafrost cooler. If successfully recreated, the woolly mammoths would be able to endure harsh climates and stabilize cold environments. With the mammoth project, Colossal also aims to develop new techniques to aid modern elephants against the threat of extinction, since elephants are vital to the biodiversity and stability of their ecosystems. Although projects like restoring dire wolves and dodo birds do not present major benefits, Colossal’s team believes bringing back the woolly mammoth will help preserve our planet in multiple ways.

(Sources: Colossal Laboratories & BIosciences, National Geographic, NPR)