On October 1, 2024, history was rewritten. Romulus and Remus, the world’s first de-extinct animals, were born—ushering in a new era of genetic science and reigniting a global debate about ethics.
These two pups aren’t just any wolves. They are dire wolves, a species that roamed North America during the Ice Age and vanished over 10,000 years ago. Now, thanks to groundbreaking work by Colossal Biosciences, the dire wolf has returned—rebuilt from ancient DNA through the use of advanced CRISPR technology and synthetic biology. Their genome, painstakingly assembled from fossils dated between 11,500 and 72,000 years old, marks one of the most ambitious undertakings in the field of de-extinction to date.
Founded with a vision to “reverse extinction” and “restore Earth to a healthier state,” Colossal has rapidly become a headline-grabbing biotech firm. Backed by venture capital and bolstered by collaborations with geneticists and paleo-genomic experts, the company has plans beyond dire wolves: they’re also working to bring back the woolly mammoth and the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), and to use de-extinction tech to boost biodiversity and fight climate change.
Although Romulus and Remus may represent a scientific milestone, their birth also raises urgent questions about the implications of de-extinction.
Are we ready to bring back the past? Supporters argue that de-extinction could help restore lost ecosystems, correct past human-driven extinctions, and develop tools for conservation in a rapidly warming world.
Critics, however, see the revival of extinct animals as ethically murky and ecologically risky. Where will these animals live? How will they behave in ecosystems that have moved on without them? And is it right to invest millions into re-creating extinct species when countless endangered species that are alive today need urgent protection from extinction in the wild.
There are also deeper concerns: Could de-extinction shift the public’s mindset from protecting species to a more cavalier attitude, believing we can just bring them back later if they go extinct? And how will the animals themselves fare, given that being “reborn” in a lab doesn’t guarantee they’ll thrive or even belong in the modern world?
Colossal insists that their efforts are guided by ecological responsibility and a commitment to transparency. However, the debate is far from over.
With the birth of Romulus and Remus, de-extinction is no longer just theoretical; it’s a present reality. This forces us to face a future where extinction is reversible, but at what cost?
