The Company That Revived the Dire Wolf Is Targeting a Blue Antelope for Its Next De-Extinction

(SeaPRwire) –   It has been over two centuries since the bluebuck was last seen, and its absence has left a notable void. This antelope species was particularly graceful, standing roughly four feet tall at the shoulder and stretching ten feet in length, characterized by striking, 22-inch curved horns. While it featured a white underbelly and a brown face, its primary coat was a distinctive gray-blue hue. At full speed, reaching 50 miles per hour, the animal appeared as a fleeting streak of blue against the landscape.

European settlers in South Africa were captivated by the bluebuck’s unique pelt, leading to its extinction through overhunting between 1650 and 1800. Today, the species is preserved only in historical illustrations and museum specimens. However, Colossal Biosciences—the firm that recently made headlines for “de-extincting” the dire wolf by editing the genome of a gray wolf—is now working to revive the bluebuck. This project joins the company’s other ambitious efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth, the dodo, the moa, and the Tasmanian tiger.

“African antelopes have long been neglected in global conservation,” stated Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer. “The bluebuck de-extinction project changes that. We’re bringing back a species that played a vital role in its ecosystem, and building the scientific foundation for antelope conservation before more of its relatives are lost.”

The situation is critical, as 55 of the world’s 90 antelope species face population declines, with 29 currently threatened with extinction. Colossal aims to use the genetic expertise developed through the bluebuck project to help bolster these existing endangered populations.

Researchers plan to sequence the genomes of the bluebuck and its closest living relative, the roan antelope, to identify key genetic differences. While roan antelope cells are readily available across sub-Saharan Africa, the bluebuck’s DNA was sourced from a tissue sample at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. By performing 40-fold coverage sequencing, the team ensured high accuracy. For the dire wolf project, the team successfully modified a gray wolf by making only 20 edits across 14 genes to replicate traits like coat color, size, and fat distribution.

The process involves editing roan antelope DNA, extracting the nucleus, and placing it into a nucleus-free roan ovum. This modified egg will be developed into an embryo in a lab and then implanted into a surrogate roan mother, which would give birth to a bluebuck calf after a 278-day gestation period.

This is a complex task, as the roan and bluebuck genomes differ by 3%, or roughly 18 million sequence variants. However, not all these variants affect the animal’s physical appearance. Scientists must filter out irrelevant genetic data, such as those related to digestion or metabolic functions, to focus on the most critical phenotypic traits. Scott Barish, a genome engineer at Colossal, noted that the team has successfully narrowed the focus from 18 million variants down to approximately 20,000 key functional regions.

While the company has not specified a timeline for completion, its progress in basic science is significant. Researchers have successfully converted adult roan cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can develop into any specialized cell type. This allows for the study of genetic edits in tissue without the need for live animal testing.

“That matters enormously for species where every individual counts,” Shapiro said. “We’re building this platform for bluebuck but the conservation adaptations for living antelope species…are just as significant as the de-extinction work itself.”

Colossal is also planning for the future of these animals. While the initial dire wolves are kept in a secure, 2,000-acre enclosure to ensure their safety, the long-term goal is rewilding. The company is collaborating with the nonprofit Advanced Conservation Strategies to navigate the regulatory requirements for releasing the bluebuck into suitable wild habitats. CEO Ben Lamm emphasized that the project extends beyond biology: “Bringing the bluebuck back is only half the work. The other half is making sure the world is ready to protect it when it returns. That means working across governments, conservation organizations, and international regulatory bodies to establish formal protections that follow the bluebuck wherever it lives.”