Direwolf De-extinction Discussion Notes

Genetic Similarity and Ethical Considerations

• The genes altered in the de-extinction attempt are reportedly very similar to those of a direwolf bone.
• Consideration of potential detrimental effects, such as blindness and deafness, is crucial before attempting to introduce more genetic material.

Ecological Niche and Reintroduction

• Direwolves went extinct approximately thirteen thousand years ago and historically inhabited plains.
• Reintroduction to areas like North Dakota is being considered.
• The ecological niche may be currently filled by gray wolves, raising questions about competition and ecosystem impact.

Phylogenetic Relationships

• Simplified phylogenetic trees show direwolves equally related to jackals and wolves, sharing a common ancestor.
• Gray wolves may appear less related in some simplified representations, but the relationships are more complex.
• The common ancestor of direwolves is not an exact sister species to modern wolves.

Hypothesis Support

• One hypothesis suggests a closer relationship between direwolves and other canids, supported by a 44% metric.
• This metric indicates a closer relation to other canids than to jackals.
• Simplifying the tree by removing other canids or jackals could make the relationship clearer.

Media Promotion vs. Scientific Validation

• The project has received significant media promotion, but limited peer-reviewed data are available.
• A preprint of the paper has been released, but it has not yet undergone peer review or been published in a journal.
• Preprints are preliminary reports of research findings that have not been certified by peer review.