02

Species

[ de-extinction for the survivAl of our planet ]
+

Restoring EARTH.
one species at a time.

The science of de-extinction never sleeps and knows no bounds. At Colossal, our pursuit of healing Earth and its inhabitants is tireless. From overhunting to poaching and habitat loss, we’re committed to rectifying the past and rehabilitating nature on a global scale. Our efforts to resurrect extinct species like the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and dodo are reshaping the future of conservation. Together, we will soon wake up to a better tomorrow. As will these not-forgotten species. All who deserve another day in the sun.

Our Ancient DNA Research

A Kaleidoscope
of Ancient Life

Our ancient DNA research is grounded in the study of an astonishing array of ancient beings. Through our funding, researchers delve into the genetics of creatures as varied and fascinating as blue bucks, long-horned bison, Columbian mammoths, dire wolves, giant sloths, great auks, megaloceros (the majestic "Irish elk"), cave hyenas, moas, saber-toothed cats, wooly rhinoceroses, mastodons, tooth-billed pigeons, American cheetahs, giant short-faced bears, and Steller’s sea cows. Each species offers a unique window into the past, providing critical insights that could help them adapt to the challenges of today's mass extinction crisis.

colossal Research partners
+
Join Us on the Frontier of
Discovery in Ancient DNA Research

We are on the cusp of a new era in scientific exploration, where the past informs the future and each discovery holds the potential to transform our approach to conservation. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on groundbreaking projects that are unlocking secrets of extinct species and ecosystems, and critical advances underway in the Ancient DNA Research Project.

New Breakthroughs from Ancient DNA Academic Research

A $7.5 million investment is significantly expanding our Ancient DNA Academic Research Project–enabling powerful ancient DNA discoveries and innovations necessary to navigate today’s changing climate and create resilient ecosystems in the future.

Under the esteemed leadership of Dr. Beth Shapiro, Colossal's Chief Science Officer and a luminary in the field of ancient DNA, our mission is to unravel the mysteries locked within ancient genomes.

The past can be thought of as a completed
evolutionary experiment that can inform how we
decide to manage ecosystems today and into the
future. We believe that to support a biodiverse
future, we must facilitate ancient DNA research
across the world. Ancient DNA is the world’s
discovery sandbox and it holds millions of yet
to be discovered secrets that we can use to
improve our planet’s future.


Beth Shapiro, Ph.d.

Chief Science Officer

Beth Shapiro, Ph.D. holding a step bison skull recently unearthed by gold miners in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada.

+

SPOTLIGHT MEGAFAUNA SPECIES ///

woolly mammoth

MAMMUTHUS PRIMIGENIUS
+

Colossal’s landmark de-extinction project will be the resurrection of the woolly mammoth - or more specifically a cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth. It will walk like a woolly mammoth, look like one, sound like one, but most importantly it will be able to inhabit the same ecosystem previously abandoned by the Mammoth’s extinction.

SOURCE: WOOLLY MAMMOTH IMAGES
+

tasmanian tiger

Thylacinus cynocephalus
+

The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, is a large carnivorous marsupial that officially went extinct in 1936. As the only member of the family Thylacinidae to survive into modern times, the sharply-clawed thylacine possessed a lean and athletic appearance with sandy yellowish-brown to gray fur and 15-20 distinct dark stripes across the back from shoulders to tail. Its canid-like skull and large jaws held 46 sharp teeth.

SOURCE: thylacine images
+

Dodo

Raphus cucullatus
+

A mysterious bird of increasingly mysterious origins, the dodo ruled the roost on its native island of Mauritius—and nowhere else—until meeting an untimely demise. Because in the late 17th century, man brought an abrupt end to the dodo species. Today, Colossal is committed to bringing it back.

SOURCE: dodo images
+
source: colossal social links ///////////////////////////////////////////////

A COLOSSAL
PROJECT

MEGAFAUNA RESTORATION & THE RETURN OF OTHER PREVIOUSLY EXTINCT SPECIES

+

Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences employs the brightest minds and most talented scientists, geneticists, and researchers. Our state-of-the-art labs are headquartered in Dallas, Texas - but our footprint extends across all seven continents, the permafrost, tundra, oceans, islands, and the world’s most prestigious universities.

quote //////////////////////////

"I am beyond thrilled to be a part of such an innovative company and concept. After a life dedicated to tracking down lost species in the wild, it’s a dream come true to be able to partner with Colossal and join their De Extinction mission. This work is a radical and exciting solution that is critical to the future of conservation."

+
colossal laboratories & biosciences
+
forrest galante
+

What EXPERTS ARE SAYING

[ QUOTE ]
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 1/8 ]

"With the support of Colossal, we are pushing the boundaries of molecular paleontology, unlocking ancient proteins and other biomolecules from ancient fossils. This innovative approach opens up new avenues of investigation, allowing us to study extinct creatures much like biologists study present-day animals. Earth has experienced five mass extinctions, and with human activity driving an unfolding sixth extinction, it's imperative that we draw lessons from the past to safeguard our future.”

Kenneth Lacovara, Ph.D.

Paleontologist and Executive Director of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum at Rowan University
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 2/8 ]

"We are grateful to Colossal for its donation in support of paleogenomics research at the Genomics Institute, UC Santa Cruz. The gift from Colossal enables our talented researchers and students to pursue discovery-based science that has real-world impact. This research partnership between academia and industry illustrates how goals can be mutually aligned and both can work together to realize the ultimate potential of discovery.”

Lauren Linton

Executive Director, UCSC Genomics Institute
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 3/8 ]

“As the field of ancient DNA transitions from simply teaching us about the past, to helping us conserve the present and guide the future, it is imperative that we are able to generate both high coverage genomes of extremely rare or lost species, and have access to chromosome scale assemblies of their living relatives. In this regard, funding provided by Colossal in support of our research has been critical”

Tom Gilbert

Director of the University of Copenhagen's Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 4/8 ]

“Colossal has made fantastic contributions to basic science by funding genome sequencing of many extinct species. From a scientific perspective, these genomes have helped us better understand which genes made these species different from their living relatives. Moreover, by investigating their genetic diversity, we are also able to better understand the extinction process and how the final population declines were impacted by, for example, human actions and environmental change.”

Love Dalén

Professor in Evolutionary Genomics, Stockholm University
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 5/8 ]

"Colossal’s unwavering and generous support has accelerated our deep time genomic research into the iconic mammoths that made North America their home, the giant Columbian mammoth of the continental US and the miniature Pygmy mammoth of the Channel Islands, but also the stranger, but fascinating, giant ground sloths, glyptodonts and pampatheres."

Hendrik Poinar

Principal Investigator and Professor at McMaster University
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 6/8 ]

"I have worked in ancient DNA for more than two decades, and obtaining funding for such discovery-based projects is always a challenge, especially for less well-known species, such as the recently extinct South-African bluebuck, or the straight-tusked elephant, one of the largest land mammals. Thanks to funding from Colossal, we were able to implement genome sequencing projects on both these and other extinct species and learn more both about the biology of these species and the processes leading to animal extinctions. Since ancient DNA research has been largely centered on human remains and domesticated species for quite a while now, funding from Colossal is a welcome boost for ancient DNA projects on the numerous extinct animal species,”

Dr. Michael Hofreiter

Professor for Evolutionary Adaptive Genomics, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 7/8 ]

"Hyenas don't get the attention they deserve. Most people don't even know that hyenas lived in Europe and Asia until the end of the last ice age. I was very excited when Colossal offered to step up and support my research on the extinct cave hyena through genome sequencing funding when nobody else would,”

Michael Westbury

Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen
de-extiction
[ Colossal Ancient DNA Academic Research Partner ]
[ QUOTE 8/8 ]

“Colossal is actively advancing our research of mammoth fossils here in Alaska by supporting our ability to radiocarbon date and examine ancient DNA in specimens housed here at the world class University of Alaska Museum of the North. Colossal’s investment into our research is adding data and tremendous value to these mammoth fossil treasures. It’s such an exciting time for Colossal.”

Matthew Wooller

Director of Alaska Stable Isotope Facility and Director of the Alaska Quaternary Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
de-extiction

the team that’s making history from pre-history
+
+

As our animals are revived, our story grows and our team will too. If you are passionate about making a real difference, saving the planet, defending ecosystems and giving these animals a second chance at existence, then we'd love to hear from you.

 
+