Have researchers really ‘de-extincted’ the dire wolf? No, but behind the hype was a genuine breakthrough | Helen Pilcher

This week , American biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced it had resurrected the dire wolf, an animal that went extinct at the end of the last ice age .

To make the pups, scientists edited the DNA inside grey wolf cells to make it more dire wolf-like.

Then the cells were used for cloning.

The result is that the vast majority of the animals’ DNA is still that of the grey wolf.

If the animals are allowed to breed when they are older, this could improve the genetic diversity and resilience of the red wolf population.

It's a shame that this is being drowned out by the noise created by the dubious dire wolves.

Colossal is playing a PR blinder, with the column inches it generates a reward for its hype.