Huberman Lab

Bringing Extinct Species Back to Life | Dr. Beth Shapiro

2h 16min

Dr. Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and Chief Scientific Officer at Colossal Biosciences, discusses the science of de-extinction, using ancient DNA to bring back species like the woolly mammoth, dodo bird, and dire wolf. She explains that these efforts are not just about resurrecting extinct animals but also about developing genetic tools to conserve living species and restore ecosystems. The conversation covers genetic engineering, the ethics of synthetic biology, and how these technologies can be applied to both wildlife conservation and human health.

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✨ Key Takeaways

1

Colossal has successfully created dire wolves by engineering 20 genetic edits from fossil dire wolf genomes into a gray wolf genome, producing three living individuals named Romulus, Remus, and Khleesi.
2

De-extinction technology is the same as conservation technology; the goal is to develop tools like CRISPR and cloning to help prevent living species from going extinct.
3

The woolly mammoth project aims to create an elephant that can live in Arctic habitats, with changes to hair, skin, and fat to handle cold, but the first mammoth will not be released into the wild without extensive study.
4

A key example of synthetic biology for conservation: Colossal's partners have engineered northern quolls with a single gene change to resist toxic cane toads, potentially saving the species from extinction.
5

Ancient DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans has revealed that modern humans carry 2-5% Neanderthal DNA, and most of the Neanderthal genome is present in different individuals today, helping identify what makes humans unique.

💬 Notable Quotes

"We are doing both. It is the same tools, it's the same technology, it's the same needs. And when we excite people with the idea of mammoths and dodos and thylocenes, we get more engagement and enthusiasm and investment in developing the technology that we can use to stop living species from becoming extinct. — Dr. Beth Shapiro"
"Biology doesn't care what species you are. Species is a human concept. We have this incredible proclivity to want to put things into boxes so that we can talk about them. — Dr. Beth Shapiro"
"Doing nothing is not not deciding. Doing nothing is saying we accept the fact that we are going to have a future that is less biodiverse than the present. — Dr. Beth Shapiro"