Dire Wolf Reborn: Leaked List Shows 15 Extinct Animals Returning in 2025

Summary

This video explores the groundbreaking efforts to resurrect extinct animals using cutting-edge technologies like DNA editing and CRISPR. Highlighting projects like hybrid direwolves, mammoths in Siberia, lab-grown Tasmanian tigers, and even dinosaurs, it demonstrates how scientists are bringing back species from the past to restore ecosystems and tackle environmental issues. With a focus on reintroducing extinct creatures like woolly rhinos, saber-tooth cats, and dodo birds, these de-extinction projects aim to revive critical roles in nature, reduce methane emissions, and help preserve biodiversity, all while sparking ethical debates about the future of these resurrected species.

Takeaways

• 😀 Scientists are resurrecting extinct animals using DNA from fossils, CRISPR gene editing, and advanced technologies, aiming to restore ecosystems and fight climate change.
• 😀 Colossal Biosciences successfully created hybrid direwolves by merging DNA from ancient direwolf fossils with modern grey wolves, with the goal of restoring ecological balance in North America.
• 😀 Woolly rhinos could be brought back by editing the DNA of the critically endangered Sumatran rhino, potentially helping to combat climate change by trapping methane in Siberian permafrost.
• 😀 The Quaga project in South Africa selectively breeds zebras to reintroduce a zebra subspecies that went extinct in the 19th century, restoring balance in grassland ecosystems.
• 😀 Scientists are working on bringing back the extinct Tasmanian tiger by editing the DNA of its closest living relative, aiming to control invasive species in Australia.
• 😀 Colossal Biosciences is leading efforts to revive woolly mammoths using CRISPR, which could help mitigate global warming by locking in methane in the Arctic.
• 😀 The European Tauros project is recreating the extinct wild cattle species, Aurochs, to help control forest overgrowth and restore ancient grasslands.
• 😀 Colossal Biosciences has begun efforts to revive the saber-toothed cat, using CRISPR and lion DNA, though ethical concerns about its reintroduction into the wild remain.
• 😀 Researchers are aiming to reintroduce the extinct moa bird in New Zealand by activating genes in emu embryos, potentially boosting local ecology and eco-tourism.
• 😀 The Baiji River dolphin may be brought back to life by cloning and gene editing, addressing both environmental restoration in China’s Yangtze River and eco-tourism potential.

Q & A

What is the significance of Colossal Biosciences' work with hybrid direwolves?

Colossal Biosciences is resurrecting the extinct direwolf by merging ancient DNA with grey wolf cells. These hybrid direwolves are being created to control deer overpopulation and restore ecosystems in North American forests, aiming to reduce problems like car collisions and overgrazing.

How does the resurrection of the woolly rhinoceros aim to combat climate change?

The woolly rhinoceros is being brought back by modifying DNA from a 20,000-year-old carcass and adding traits from the endangered Sumatran rhino. The plan is to release herds in Siberia, where their grazing could expose soil, freezing and trapping methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in the permafrost.

What is the goal of the Quaga project in South Africa?

The Quaga project is aiming to fully restore the extinct zebra subspecies by selectively breeding zebras with Quaga-like traits. This will help restore grassland ecosystems and reduce the risk of wildfires in South Africa's Cairo National Park.

How is genetic engineering contributing to the potential return of the Tasmanian tiger?

Using DNA from a preserved pup, scientists are editing the cells of the fat-tailed Dunart to reactivate dormant genes for features like jaw structure and striped fur. The aim is to reintroduce the Tasmanian tiger to Tasmania by 2030 to help control invasive species.

Why are scientists attempting to bring back the woolly mammoth?

Scientists, led by Colossal Biosciences, are using CRISPR gene editing to combine mammoth DNA with that of Asian elephants to create mammoth-like hybrids. These creatures would help preserve Arctic permafrost by trampling snow and trapping methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

What is the goal of the Iberian ibex cloning project?

The Iberian ibex cloning project aims to bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex using DNA from the last individual that died in 2000. The goal is to restore herds to the Pyrenees, where they could help prevent soil erosion by grazing.

How are researchers planning to bring back the passenger pigeon?

Using CRISPR to edit the genes of the band-tailed pigeon, scientists are aiming to recreate the traits of the passenger pigeon, such as flocking behavior and rapid breeding. The goal is to restore seed dispersal in forests, which has been impacted since the passenger pigeon's extinction.

What role does the dodo's resurrection play in ecosystem restoration?

The dodo's return could help restore seed dispersal in certain ecosystems, particularly through the regeneration of species like the tambaloke tree, which depends on dodo-like digestion for seed germination. Reintroducing the dodo may also support ecological tourism.

What was the role of the southern gastric brooding frog before it went extinct?

Before its extinction, the southern gastric brooding frog played a crucial role in controlling insect populations in Queensland's rainforests by swallowing fertilized eggs and giving birth through its mouth. Scientists are working to revive the species to restore this ecological balance.

What challenges are faced in the revival of the Baiji River dolphin?

The revival of the Baiji River dolphin faces challenges such as restoring its habitat in the polluted Yangtze River and using CRISPR to modify the genes of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin to mimic the Baiji's traits. The goal is to bring back this species to control fish populations and help restore cultural significance.