A US biotech company's claim to have “de-extincted” dire wolves, made famous by TV's Game of Thrones, has sparked debate over the future of genetics and whether other extinct species could return.
Colossal Biosciences recently announced it had created three pure white canines that represented a revival of the dire wolf, which became extinct about 13,000 years ago. Romulus and Remus, both males, were born in October last year and are now adolescents, while Khaleesi, a female, arrived more recently and is still a pup.
The Dallas company extracted and sequenced DNA from dire wolf fossils, one of them 72,000 years old, and genetically engineered modern grey wolves to resemble the long-lost species.
After editing more than a dozen genes, the company created animals with long, thick, white fur, although some scientists have said the original dire wolves are unlikely to have been such a snowy colour.
Among the many scientific and ethical questions raised by the feat, one perhaps looms largest: what other creatures could be brought back to life through the process of “de-extinction”?
Resurrection plans
Just weeks before showcasing its striking white wolves, Colossal unveiled its “woolly mice”. These mice have been genetically engineered to have coats of long, thick fur.
Using a similar approach to genetically engineer Asian elephants to have long red fur, Colossal hopes to bring back the woolly mammoth. Its other previously announced projects include attempting to recreate the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger.
However, the Colossal Biosciences method – of genetically engineering living species to resemble their disappeared relatives – could ultimately be superseded, William Kunin, professor of ecology at the University of Leeds, told The National.
“There will come a time when you cannot just alter an existing species, but [also] reanimate a lost species,” Prof Kunin said. “What’s being talked about now is a more practical solution in the short term.”
Recreating lost species need not involve creatures from the distant past, as there is also the option to reanimate animals very recently driven to extinction.
Among the species that Brendan Godley, professor of conservation science at the University of Exeter, would like to see living again is the Chinese river dolphin.
It is considered to be the first dolphin species driven to extinction by human beings. For millions of years they lived in the Yangtze River, but none have been since a 2006 expedition to find if any remained proved fruitless.
Ethical challenges
The Chinese river dolphin highlights a key issue around recreating lost species: if they could be brought back, what sort of world would they be returning to?
Such is the scale of destruction of natural habitats that many extinct species would find today’s world no more amenable than the one that caused them to disappear in the first place. “Species go extinct for a reason,” Prof Godley said. “Unless you can correct some of the [causes] that drove them to extinction, there’s no place for them to come back to.”
So, if the Chinese river dolphin were recreated, it would mean dealing with the problems of the Yangtze River, including chemical pollution. Other factors include overfishing of the animals’ prey and heavy shipping activity. “You don’t want to create dolphins to live in captivity,” Prof Godley said.
Similar arguments have been applied to the dodo, because little of its former forest habitat on Mauritius remains.
“If we don't address the reasons and mechanisms species went extinct, we may not see long-term success in bringing back species,” said Dr Manisha Bhardwaj, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Freiburg in Germany. “There are reasons species went extinct, and in many cases the reasons are largely human-mediated.
“These issues challenge existing species and habitats, and may hinder the success of species brought back. We're in the midst of a mass extinction period, and we need to make changes in order for things to improve.”
Importance of diet
The passenger pigeon is another case. There were millions of these birds in North America – they were famed for their large flocks – but they suffered a precipitous decline in the late 19th century because of factors including hunting and habitat destruction. The last living specimen, a bird called Martha at Cincinnati Zoo, died in 1914.
“The passenger pigeon is an animal that was mega abundant, but driven to extinction because it was thought to be limitless,” Prof Godley said. If they were to return, it would be to a world without their primary food source.
“What passenger pigeons ate were chestnuts, and the chestnuts aren’t there,” Prof Kunin said. The passenger pigeon’s main source of food, American chestnut trees, “effectively went extinct because of introduced pests”.
Chestnut blight was introduced from Japan and killed an estimated 3.5 billion American chestnut trees in the first half of the 20th century. Today, the American chestnut is considered “functionally extinct” because saplings usually fall victim to chestnut blight and rarely reach maturity.
Prof Kunin said it “would be amazing” if resistant forms of the tree could be introduced so the species regained its former glory. Indeed, the American Chestnut Foundation is using multiple approaches, including traditional breeding, genetic engineering and blight control to try to help restore populations of the species.
So, in future, it may be a tree from the past, and not just animals such as the dire wolf, the dodo and the woolly mammoth, that graces the planet again.
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Barbie
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
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- Anne-Marie Morris
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- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Company%20profile
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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