Reborn, but ethically torn: The real debate behind de-extinction

The debate over de-extinction isn't really about wolves or mammoths or cheetahs. Or even science. It's about us, about who we are, and who we wish to become

They look like escapees from Jurassic World — or better yet, Game of Thrones. Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi aren’t your average pampered pups. They're the modern reincarnations, at least in silhouette, of the dire wolf or Canis dirus:  A burly, heavy-jawed predator that ruled Ice Age landscapes over 10,000 years ago.

 

Now, thanks to ancient DNA and advanced bioengineering, researchers at Colossal Biosciences -- a US-based startup calling itself a “de-extinction company” —have achieved the extraordinary by resurrecting something uncannily close to the long-lost beast.

 

The story begins underground. Fossils unearthed from tar pits -- a 13,000-year-old tooth, a 72,000-year-old