Colossal Biosciences claimed in April that it had successfully de-extincted the dire wolf, but a subsequent interview with its chief scientist suggests otherwise. The company’s claim was met with skepticism from some media outlets, including New Scientist, which pointed out that the animals created by Colossal are just grey wolves with gene edits.
In an interview, Beth Shapiro acknowledged that it is impossible to bring back an extinct species exactly as it once existed. Instead, she said that Colossal has cloned grey wolves with 20 genetic edits. The company’s use of the term “dire wolf” has also been criticized, with some calling it misleading and causing anger among fans of the real dire wolf.
Richard Grenyer at the University of Oxford says that Colossal’s statement is inconsistent with what the company has previously said about its de-extinction efforts. He believes that the company’s actions and publicity materials do not match its claims, particularly when compared to the content on its website.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481409-colossal-scientist-now-admits-they-havent-really-made-dire-wolves