It’s a headline sure to grab a reader’s attention – after thousands of years of extinction, a biotechnology company claims it has brought back the dire wolf through genetic engineering. But is this milestone truly “de-extinction,” and what are some of the broader implications of this research?
Samuel Gorovitz
Samuel Gorovitz is a Syracuse University professor and a leading figure in the field of bioethics. He says that while this animal may be genetically connected to the dire wolf, no matter what the company does, the dire wolf will remain extinct.
“Only adult dire wolves can raise an authentic dire wolf, and there aren’t any of those. All talk of “de-extinction” is metaphorical and often misleading,” Gorovitz says. “That said, the company’s processes seem adequately respectful of ethical requirements. As their work proceeds, they are learning to refine the techniques and developing more sophisticated understandings of how such techniques of genetic manipulation succeed or fail. That’s a benefit independent of the particulars of the chosen species.”
As their work proceeds, they are learning to refine the techniques and developing more sophisticated understandings of how such techniques of genetic manipulation succeed or fail. That’s a benefit independent of the particulars of the chosen species.
Professor Gorovitz adds that there doesn’t seem to be significant ecological risk at this scale. “It’s unlikely that any of their work will lead to a “rewilding” that repopulates an ecosystem with significant numbers of newly devised creatures – the obstacles to that are numerous and clear. There’s not likely any ecological risk from what they are doing, however. Hybrid and chimerical creatures abound naturally, and if an occasional new one were to be added no substantial harm is probable,” Gorovitz says.
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