Dire Wolves and De-Extinction Quiz

What was the significant announcement made by Colossal Biosciences in 2025?

• They successfully cloned a woolly mammoth.

• They discovered a new species of wolf.

• They developed a cure for a rare disease.

• They brought dire wolves back from extinction.

During which period did dire wolves first appear?

• Holocene

• Pleistocene

• Jurassic

• Cretaceous

What was a unique characteristic of dire wolves compared to gray wolves?

• They were smaller.

• They lived in Africa.

• They were herbivores.

• They had paler coats.

What was the main reason for the extinction of dire wolves?

• Lack of prey

• Climate change

• Human hunting

• Disease

What method did Colossal Biosciences use to attempt recreating dire wolves?

• Cloning from ancient DNA

• Cross-breeding with modern wolves

• Genetic engineering of coyotes

• Using gray wolves as a genetic template

What percentage of the dire wolf genome was sequenced from the skull?

• 6%

• 100%

• 50%

• 82%

What is a major flaw in using gray wolves as a template for dire wolves?

• Gray wolves are not closely related to dire wolves.

• Gray wolves are extinct.

• Gray wolves have different dietary needs.

• Gray wolves are too small.

Which species concept relies on physical attributes to define a species?

• Ecological species concept

• Biological species concept

• Lineage species concept

• Morphological species concept

Why is the biological species concept difficult to apply to extinct species?

• It depends on environmental factors.

• It needs complete fossil records.

• It relies on observing breeding behaviors.

• It requires living specimens.

What ethical concern is associated with bringing back dire wolves?

• They might overpopulate the earth.

• They could disrupt current ecosystems.

• They are dangerous to humans.

• They require too much food.