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Fast Company reports on Colossal Biosciences’ defense of its dire wolf de-extinction claims following criticism from scientists. CEO Ben Lamm pushed back against detractors who argue the company’s genetically engineered canines—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—are closer to “designer dogs” than true dire wolves. Lamm explains their approach as “functional de-extinction,” citing definitions from the International Union for Conservation of Nature that describe de-extinction as developing “proxies” rather than exact replicas of extinct species. The company has submitted a new peer-reviewed study expanding on previous research in Nature, presenting evidence that their canines exhibit nearly all the defining characteristics that made dire wolves a distinct species. Beyond the scientific debate, the article notes that Colossal has practical conservation applications for its technology, revealing that alongside the dire wolf announcement, they’ve cloned four red wolves that could help restore the population of just 15 remaining in the wild. Lamm defends the company’s dual focus on attention-grabbing achievements and serious scientific work, arguing that radical approaches are necessary given predictions that up to 50% of all biodiversity could be lost by 2050. The wolves currently reside on a 2,000-acre reserve with comprehensive veterinary care, with long-term plans to rewild these and other de-extinct species in suitable natural habitats. https://www.fastcompany.com/91313493/colossal-biosciences-ceo-ben-lamm-defends-his-de-extinct-dire-wolves