Latest news with #Remus
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This Giant Bird Went Extinct 600 Years Ago. Scientists Say They Can Resurrect It.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Only a few months after announcing the controversial 'de-extinction' of the dire wolf, Colossal Biosciences has now set its sights on restoring the nine species of giant moa that roamed New Zealand some 600 years ago. The biotech company plans on extracting DNA from moa bones and comparing to them to living relatives—such as the emu and the tinamou—to see what edits need to be made to bring back these flightless legends. Although this project will include more DNA edits than the dire wolf project, many scientists are skeptical that any resulting genetically modified organism will be anything more than a facsimile of the original, leaving them unable to fulfill the moa's original ecological role and relegating them to a life of captivity. Earlier this year, scientists at the Texas-based Colossal Biosciences boldly announced the 'world's first de-extinction' by bringing back the long dead dire wolf. Nicknamed Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, these pups were far from the magnificent animals that prowled North America before the early Holocene. Instead, as Colossal's own chief science officer later clarified, they were really just grey wolves with around 20 gene edits—not the millions that'd likely be needed to actually create a dire wolf (if such a thing was even possible). Now, Colossal is at it again. And this time the company wants to bring back all nine species of the giant moa—a flightless bird native to New Zealand that died out as a result of overhunting some 600 years ago. Of course, this announcement differs from the previous one in a key way: They didn't actually bring the bird back (at least, not yet.) But a media blitz of news coverage, interviews with legendary New Zealand director Peter Jackson, and a flashy announcement video show that Colossal is serious about bringing the giant moa back to the southwestern Pacific island. This diverse group of birds sported a variety of different attributes and (most notably) sizes. The smallest of the bunch—the bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis)—was about the size of a turkey, while the the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) and North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) both stood roughly 11 feet tall. Even through they looked like a strange cross between an emu and kiwi, the moa's closest living relative is the tinamou group, which lives in central and South America. With the geographical differences providing a big clue, the word 'closest' is doing a lot of heavy lifting, as the two groups separated roughly 60 million years ago. The Associated Press reports that Colossal will first identify well-preserved moa bones from which DNA can be extracted. For his part, Jackson himself owns the world's largest collection of moa bones (around 300 to 400 specimens). From there, they'll compare the genetic sequences to tinamou and emu, the latter of which will be required for their impressive stature. 'What emus have is very large embryos, very large eggs,' Andrew Pask, a Colossal scientific advisor from the University of Melbourne Australia, told New Scientist. 'And that's one of the things that you definitely need to de-extinct a moa.' Pask also clarified that this project will be more expansive than the dire wolf project, and that there will be 'orders of magnitude' more DNA edits. The other (sort of) positive is that the moa hasn't been extinct for thousands of years like the dire wolf, so its natural ecosystem hasn't evolved far beyond its extinction. Some scientists are critical of the idea. Even with the more DNA edits, the resulting 'Colossal moa' won't be a de-extinct moa, but a genetically modified animal that's a close facsimile to the original. It's also unlikely that these GMO-moas will ever be able to roam their natural habitat. They may look like moas, but they won't be able to fulfill the moa's ecological role, which will relegate them to a life as little more than a living museum piece, like the dire wolves. Despite Colossal's attempts at 'de-extinction,' genetic modification does play an increasingly important role in conservation. Genetic research brought the critically endangered black-footed ferret back from the brink, and that's just one of many examples. The world is currently experiencing its sixth mass extinction, with potentially thousands of species lost every year. Bringing back woolly mammoths, dire wolves, and giant moa (or close approximations of those ancient creatures) is undeniably enticing, but it doesn't do much for the animals and ecosystems that need our help today. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Dire wolves brought back from extinction have already doubled in size, new video reveals
Dire wolves vanished more than 12,000 years ago but science has brought them back, and now, the massive creatures made famous by Game of Thrones have doubled in size in mere months. Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, the first genetically engineered dire wolf pups, are growing bigger than most gray wolves. The dire wolves were created by Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based company using cutting-edge genetic engineering to bring extinct species back to life, including the woolly mammoth, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers. In a newly released video, the team revealed that Romulus and Remus, the two male pups, are now over six months-old and weigh more than 90 pounds each. That is about 20 percent larger than a standard gray wolf, making them the closest thing to a real-life dire wolf in more than 10,000 years. Romulus and Remus were born last year on October 1, while Khalessi was born earlier this year in January, making her the youngest of the pact. In the video uploaded by Colossal, the two male pups were seen running and playing together, chasing each other, and showing friendly behavior which reflects healthy social bonding. They seemed comfortable in their new outdoor surroundings after leaving the lab. Matt James, Chief Animal Officer at Colossal, said: 'They're nice large wolves that are much more representative of what we saw in the ancient specimens.' The pups are now getting ready for their first full medical checkup, which will include CT scans and blood tests to study their bones, muscles, and internal growth. Scientists say these physical changes, like their unusually large size, show that the dire wolf genes engineered into their DNA before birth are now actively shaping their development. The team also gave an update on Khaleesi, the only female of the trio, describing her as 'a little smaller, a little younger.' According to researchers, the female wolves are naturally smaller and tend to grow at a slightly slower pace compared to males. 'She currently weighs about 35 pounds, but is still tracking about 10 to 15 percent larger than what we have seen in gray wolves,' James said. Khaleesi is being kept separate for now to ensure she's big enough to safely join her older brothers. The team is carefully watching her growth before moving to a gradual, staged introduction. In the video, James described the pups' growth as impressive, noting they have hit all expected milestones for development. Currently, the pups are eating an adult diet of a high quality dog kibble, game-grade ground meat, and bones to help them develop hunting instincts. Paige McNichol, manager of animal husbandry at Colossal, said: 'Remus is really taking that alpha role, and Romulus is stepping down and being more subordinate in the pack.' Although Remus is slightly smaller than Romulus, he's proving to be more dominant. He's constantly watching his surroundings and thinking before acting, a behavior McNichol described as crafty and calculated. That makes him more of a strategic leader, while Romulus, though physically larger, tends to charge ahead first but follows Remus's lead during interactions, a classic behavior among beta males. 'This dynamic may change as they grow, especially when their younger pack mate Khaleesi is introduced,' McNichol said. The team is carefully and slowly introducing her to Romulus and Remus, starting with visits through fences. 'We're looking for really strong indicators that they are socially compatible,' said James. The eventual goal is to release all three onto a private preserve where they can live as a functioning pack. Six months ago, Colossal made headlines when it first announced the births of Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, claiming to have 'brought back' the dire wolf. The animals, made famous by Game of Thrones, last roamed North America more than 12,000 years ago before going extinct. These pups are lab-made hybrid wolves. They are genetically modified gray wolves, engineered to revive the ancient predators using advanced DNA-editing tools. Scientists compared the ancient dire wolf's DNA to a gray wolf's, identifying 14 distinct genes. They made 20 changes in gray wolf to match the dire wolf's DNA, resulting in larger, more resembling wolves. Nic Rawlence, an associate professor and director of the Otago Paleogentics Laboratory at the University of Otago, told 'To truly de-extinct something, you would have to clone it.' 'The problem is we can't clone extinct animals because the DNA is not well enough preserved,' he said. The process started by extracting ancient DNA from fossils and comparing it to the gray wolf's DNA. Scientists then made changes into gray wolf's DNA to mimic the dire wolf, and then they implanted it into a surrogate mother, giving birth to a genetically made dire pup. Romulus, Remus, and Khlaessi were born using this method, which Colossal calls part of its 'de-extinction toolkit.' The company says that their broader plan is to correct past ecological damage caused by human activity, including overhunting and habitat destruction. 'We're committed to rectifying the past and rehabilitating nature on a global scale,' the company's website states. Experts have warned that creating large carnivores, even in captivity, could have unintended consequences. Between 2002 and 2020, there were 26 reported fatal wolf attacks on humans globally, according to the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. 'If released into the wild in large enough numbers to establish a self-sustaining population, this new wolf could potentially take down prey larger than that hunted by gray wolves,' said Rawlence. He also warned that if these lab-made hybrid wolves were to breed with wild populations, their altered genes could spread, disrupting ecosystems. For now, the team says the final size is uncertain, but they are looking for signs that the pups may continue growing toward the size of their ancient counterparts. Historically, extinct dire wolves stood about three feet tall at the shoulder, reached lengths of up to six feet, which makes them 30 to 40 percent heavier than today's gray wolves. Fossil evidence suggests they could weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, according to the National Park Service.
The Advertiser
26-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Struggling to find a loving home: pups Colt and Remus are still in care
At any one time, animals in foster homes can account for up to 21 per cent of all the animals in care at RSPCA NSW. By giving an animal the chance to thrive outside the often busy shelter environment, foster carers provide a crucial lifeline for animals in need. Two such pups, Colt and Remus, despite their foster parents' best efforts to ready these pups for their forever homes, the pair are still struggling to find the families they deserve. Colt is a lively Australian Cattle Dog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix. At 11 months old, he's always ready for a new adventure, be it at the beach or the great outdoors. Colt is looking for a home where he can channel all his excitement into play and enrichment, which is why he'd greatly benefit from the attention of a patient, understanding family. Meanwhile, Remus is spending his days becoming the perfect forever friend. Though a little cheeky, he quickly shows his affectionate side to those who show him the way, making Remus the perfect pet for those looking for a loyal canine companion. While incredibly friendly to his human friends, Remus would also enjoy growing up with a canine companion by his side. A doggy mentor would help him gain more confidence as he adjusts to family life, although he prefers to keep his distance from bigger groups of dogs. Colt and Remus were brought into care by RSPCA NSW Inspectors in September last year. After more than 260 days in care, they are both still holding out for their perfect match. If you're looking to adopt a canine companion of your own, consider giving Colt or Remus a second chance at a loving home. Both pups are currently awaiting adoption with RSPCA NSW foster carers. To get in touch with Colt and Remus' carers, reach out to the Hunter Shelter staff at (02) 4939 1555. You can also contact the foster care team at volunteer@ to find out more about supporting shelter animals in need. Whether you're caring for young litters or offering a space to recover from injury, you too can play an essential role in helping shelter animals find a home. At any one time, animals in foster homes can account for up to 21 per cent of all the animals in care at RSPCA NSW. By giving an animal the chance to thrive outside the often busy shelter environment, foster carers provide a crucial lifeline for animals in need. Two such pups, Colt and Remus, despite their foster parents' best efforts to ready these pups for their forever homes, the pair are still struggling to find the families they deserve. Colt is a lively Australian Cattle Dog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix. At 11 months old, he's always ready for a new adventure, be it at the beach or the great outdoors. Colt is looking for a home where he can channel all his excitement into play and enrichment, which is why he'd greatly benefit from the attention of a patient, understanding family. Meanwhile, Remus is spending his days becoming the perfect forever friend. Though a little cheeky, he quickly shows his affectionate side to those who show him the way, making Remus the perfect pet for those looking for a loyal canine companion. While incredibly friendly to his human friends, Remus would also enjoy growing up with a canine companion by his side. A doggy mentor would help him gain more confidence as he adjusts to family life, although he prefers to keep his distance from bigger groups of dogs. Colt and Remus were brought into care by RSPCA NSW Inspectors in September last year. After more than 260 days in care, they are both still holding out for their perfect match. If you're looking to adopt a canine companion of your own, consider giving Colt or Remus a second chance at a loving home. Both pups are currently awaiting adoption with RSPCA NSW foster carers. To get in touch with Colt and Remus' carers, reach out to the Hunter Shelter staff at (02) 4939 1555. You can also contact the foster care team at volunteer@ to find out more about supporting shelter animals in need. Whether you're caring for young litters or offering a space to recover from injury, you too can play an essential role in helping shelter animals find a home. At any one time, animals in foster homes can account for up to 21 per cent of all the animals in care at RSPCA NSW. By giving an animal the chance to thrive outside the often busy shelter environment, foster carers provide a crucial lifeline for animals in need. Two such pups, Colt and Remus, despite their foster parents' best efforts to ready these pups for their forever homes, the pair are still struggling to find the families they deserve. Colt is a lively Australian Cattle Dog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix. At 11 months old, he's always ready for a new adventure, be it at the beach or the great outdoors. Colt is looking for a home where he can channel all his excitement into play and enrichment, which is why he'd greatly benefit from the attention of a patient, understanding family. Meanwhile, Remus is spending his days becoming the perfect forever friend. Though a little cheeky, he quickly shows his affectionate side to those who show him the way, making Remus the perfect pet for those looking for a loyal canine companion. While incredibly friendly to his human friends, Remus would also enjoy growing up with a canine companion by his side. A doggy mentor would help him gain more confidence as he adjusts to family life, although he prefers to keep his distance from bigger groups of dogs. Colt and Remus were brought into care by RSPCA NSW Inspectors in September last year. After more than 260 days in care, they are both still holding out for their perfect match. If you're looking to adopt a canine companion of your own, consider giving Colt or Remus a second chance at a loving home. Both pups are currently awaiting adoption with RSPCA NSW foster carers. To get in touch with Colt and Remus' carers, reach out to the Hunter Shelter staff at (02) 4939 1555. You can also contact the foster care team at volunteer@ to find out more about supporting shelter animals in need. Whether you're caring for young litters or offering a space to recover from injury, you too can play an essential role in helping shelter animals find a home. At any one time, animals in foster homes can account for up to 21 per cent of all the animals in care at RSPCA NSW. By giving an animal the chance to thrive outside the often busy shelter environment, foster carers provide a crucial lifeline for animals in need. Two such pups, Colt and Remus, despite their foster parents' best efforts to ready these pups for their forever homes, the pair are still struggling to find the families they deserve. Colt is a lively Australian Cattle Dog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix. At 11 months old, he's always ready for a new adventure, be it at the beach or the great outdoors. Colt is looking for a home where he can channel all his excitement into play and enrichment, which is why he'd greatly benefit from the attention of a patient, understanding family. Meanwhile, Remus is spending his days becoming the perfect forever friend. Though a little cheeky, he quickly shows his affectionate side to those who show him the way, making Remus the perfect pet for those looking for a loyal canine companion. While incredibly friendly to his human friends, Remus would also enjoy growing up with a canine companion by his side. A doggy mentor would help him gain more confidence as he adjusts to family life, although he prefers to keep his distance from bigger groups of dogs. Colt and Remus were brought into care by RSPCA NSW Inspectors in September last year. After more than 260 days in care, they are both still holding out for their perfect match. If you're looking to adopt a canine companion of your own, consider giving Colt or Remus a second chance at a loving home. Both pups are currently awaiting adoption with RSPCA NSW foster carers. To get in touch with Colt and Remus' carers, reach out to the Hunter Shelter staff at (02) 4939 1555. You can also contact the foster care team at volunteer@ to find out more about supporting shelter animals in need. Whether you're caring for young litters or offering a space to recover from injury, you too can play an essential role in helping shelter animals find a home.
Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Times
I played football for Wales but the cladding scandal could bankrupt me
It was not until Brian Law received a £16,000 service charge demand for his buy-to-let that he realised the flat was wrapped in flammable cladding. The former Welsh international footballer bought the flat in the Islington Gates development in Birmingham in 2005, after injury put an end to his career at age 30. In 2020, he received a letter from Remus, the firm that manages the building, saying that it could cost thousands of pounds to fix the building's fire safety issues. It was then that he realised the asset that was supposed to help to fund his retirement had suddenly become a huge drain on his finances. Five years later and the cladding work has cost Law and his wife, Jennifer, £37,000, plus the costs associated with three failed sales. In February 2024, Law handed over the keys to his bank in a voluntary repossession, having seen his debts reach £82,000.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
If it looks like a dire wolf, is it a dire wolf? How to define a species is a scientific and philosophical question
Biotech company Colossal Biosciences made headlines in April 2025 after claiming it had 'successfully restored … the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem.' Three wolf pups – Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi – were born through this de-extinction project. But behind the scenes lies a more complicated reality. What Colossal actually did was edit a small number of gray wolf genes, aiming to create physical traits that resemble those of the extinct dire wolf. The edited embryos were implanted into surrogate domestic dogs. Many scientists and reporters expressed skepticism about the claim that this amounts to restoring the dire wolf. Experts pointed out that tweaking a handful of genes does not replicate the full biological reality of a long-extinct species. Most of the dire wolf's genetic makeup remains unknown and unreplicated. This gap between appearance and biological identity raises a deeper question: What exactly is a species, and how do you decide whether something belongs to one species rather than another? Biologists call the answer a species concept – a theory about what a species is and how researchers sort organisms into different groups. As a philosopher of science who studies what defines a species, I can say this: Whether de-extinction projects succeed depends on which species concept you think is right – and the truth is, even scientists don't agree. When scientists talk about biodiversity – the variety of life-forms found in nature – species are the basic building blocks. A species is supposed to reflect a real division between distinct groups of organisms in the natural world, not just a convenient label. In classifying living things into species, scientists are trying to 'carve nature at its joints' to reflect real patterns shaped by evolution. Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial. Scientists have proposed dozens of distinct species concepts – some scholars have counted over 32 ways to define a species – and each draws the lines a little differently. These definitions don't always agree on whether an organism is part of one species rather than another. Two of the most influential species concepts highlight the challenge. The biological species concept defines a species as a group of organisms that can naturally breed with each other and produce fertile offspring. Under this view, African forest elephants and African savanna elephants were once classified as the same species because they could mate and have young together, even though they lived in different habitats and looked different. Another approach, the phylogenetic species concept, emphasizes ancestry instead of breeding. A species, in this view, is a group that shares a unique evolutionary history, forming its own distinct branch on the tree of life. By this standard, researchers found that forest and savanna elephants had been genetically evolving separately for millions of years, long enough to be considered different species even if they could still interbreed. Understanding these different species concepts is crucial for evaluating claims about de-extinction. If Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi could naturally mate with historical dire wolves and produce fertile offspring, then they would be considered true dire wolves under the biological species concept. But for definitions of species that emphasize evolutionary history, such as the phylogenetic species concept, the lab-created wolves would not qualify as real dire wolves – even if they were indistinguishable from the originals – because they did not descend from historical dire wolves. Despite differences on how best to define species, there is a surprising degree of consensus among scientists and philosophers on one big idea: What makes something part of a species is not an internal feature, such as a specific set of genes, but a relationship to something else – to its environment, to other organisms, or to a shared evolutionary history. By this way of thinking – what is often called relationalism – there is no special 'lemon gene' that makes a lemon and no hidden genetic marker that automatically makes an animal a dire wolf. Commonly shared across all these theories is the notion that belonging to a particular species depends on connections and context, not on anything inside the organism itself. But what if that consensus is wrong? At first glance, the standard ways of defining a species seem to work well. But every now and then, nature throws a curveball – and even the most trusted definitions don't quite fit. Take the case of the blue-winged and golden-winged warblers. These two songbirds look and sound different. They wear different plumage, sing different songs and prefer different habitats. Birders and organizations such as the American Ornithological Society have always classified them as separate species. Yet under two of the most common scientific definitions of species, the biological and phylogenetic species concepts, blue-winged and golden-winged warblers are considered the same species. These birds regularly mate and produce young together. They've been swapping genes for thousands of years. And when scientists looked at their nuclear DNA – the genetic material tucked inside the nucleus of each cell – they found the two birds are 99.97% identical. This finding suggests that even careful, widely accepted species definitions can miss something important. So what if, instead, the key to being part of a species lies deep inside the organism, in the way its basic systems of life fit together? Recent work in biology and philosophy suggests another way of thinking about species that focuses on a hidden but vital system inside cells: the partnership between two sets of genetic material. I and my colleague Kyle B. Heine explore this idea by drawing on research in mitonuclear ecology – the study of how different parts of an organism's genetic material adapt and work together to produce energy. Virtually every cell contains two kinds of DNA. One set, stored in the nucleus, acts like an instruction manual that guides most of the cell's activities. The other, found in structures called mitochondria – the cell's energy centers – contains its own much smaller set of instructions geared toward supporting its unique role in keeping the cell running. Producing energy depends on precise teamwork between nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA, like two musicians playing in perfect harmony. Over millions of years, the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of each species have evolved together to form a unique, finely tuned system. This insight has led to a new way of thinking about species, called the mitonuclear compatibility species concept. According to this idea, an organism belongs to a species if its two sets of genes – those in the nucleus and those in the mitochondria – are optimized to work together to generate life-sustaining energy. If the cellular partnership between these two genetic systems is mismatched, the organism may struggle to produce the energy it needs to survive, grow and reproduce. By this standard, different species aren't just defined by how they look or behave, but by whether their nuclear and mitochondrial genes form a uniquely coadapted team. For example, even though blue-winged and golden-winged warblers are nearly identical in their nuclear DNA, they differ by about 3% in their mitochondrial DNA – a clue that their energy systems are distinct. And that's exactly what the mitonuclear compatibility species concept predicts: They really are two separate species. Bringing back a species like the dire wolf isn't just a matter of getting the fur right or tweaking a few visible traits. According to my preferred species concept, even if a recreated animal looks the part, it won't truly be a dire wolf unless its inner genetic systems – the ones that power its cells – are finely tuned to work together, just as they were in the original species. That's a tall order. And without restoring the full inner machinery of the original species, any lab-grown look-alike would fall short. Understanding how scientists define species – and how those definitions shape the possibilities of de-extinction – offers more than just a lesson in biological bookkeeping. It shows that classification is not just about names or lineages, but about recognizing the deep biological patterns that sustain life, offering a deeper appreciation of what it really means to bring back the past. Reviving an extinct species isn't like assembling a model from spare parts. It means recreating a living, breathing system – one whose parts must work in concert, not just look the part. And that's why philosophy and science both matter here: To understand what we're bringing back, we must first understand what was truly lost. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Elay Shech, Auburn University Read more: Colors are objective, according to two philosophers − even though the blue you see doesn't match what I see Why is astronomy a science but astrology is not? Should we bring back the dodo? De-extinction is a feel-good story, but these high-tech replacements aren't really 'resurrecting' species Elay Shech does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
