Functional De-extinction ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

A US biotech firm, Colossal Biosciences, asserts that it has genetically modified three grey wolf pups to possess characteristics of the extinct dire wolf, labeling it as the world's first successful functional de-extinction.
  ● Dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus) were sizable canines that thrived in southern Canada and the US before becoming extinct approximately 13,000 years ago.  
      ○ Other animals targeted for planned Functional De-extinction include the woolly mammoth, moa, thylacine, and dodo.

About Functional De-extinction

The emphasis is on restoring the ecological roles and characteristics of species that have disappeared. The organisms that are brought back are not perfect duplicates but are instead genetically modified to closely mimic the extinct species in either appearance or function. The methods employed include CRISPR gene editing, cloning, and genome mapping.