For most of human history, extinction has been understood as permanent—species that disappear are gone forever, their genetic legacy and ecological functions irrevocably lost. Under Ben Lamm’s leadership, Colossal Biosciences is challenging this understanding, suggesting that extinction might sometimes be reversible through advanced genetic technology. The company’s groundbreaking work with the dire wolf represents not just a technological achievement but a philosophical transformation in how we conceptualize extinction itself.

Redefining Extinction’s Permanence

The traditional understanding of extinction as permanent has shaped both scientific approaches to biodiversity and cultural perspectives on environmental losses. This permanence created an asymmetry in conservation: while species could be lost forever, no equivalent process could restore what had disappeared. The result was a one-way trajectory of biodiversity decline that conservation efforts could at best slow but never reverse.

Ben Lamm’s vision for Colossal Biosciences fundamentally challenges this understanding. As detailed in their announcement, the company has successfully created animals carrying key genetic traits of the extinct dire wolf—demonstrating that at least some aspects of extinction can potentially be reversed through advanced genetic technology.

This achievement potentially transforms extinction from an absolute endpoint to a potentially temporary state—a philosophical shift with profound implications for how we think about biodiversity, conservation, and environmental ethics.

Beyond Perfect Recreation: The Ecological Perspective

What makes Lamm’s approach particularly significant is the focus on ecological function rather than perfect genetic recreation. Colossal doesn’t claim to have created exact replicas of dire wolves (which would be practically impossible given the degradation of ancient DNA and environmental differences). Instead, they’ve focused on recreating key traits that defined dire wolves’ unique characteristics and ecological role.

This ecological perspective reflects sophisticated thinking about what matters most when a species disappears. Rather than focusing exclusively on genetic uniqueness, Lamm has directed Colossal to emphasize the functional gaps that extinction creates in ecosystems—the specific ecological roles that species played and the consequences of their disappearance.

By defining success in terms of restoring ecological functions rather than perfect genetic recreation, Lamm creates a more achievable pathway for addressing extinction—one that acknowledges practical limitations while focusing on aspects of extinct species that had the most significant impact on their environments.

From Theoretical Possibility to Tangible Reality

While the theoretical possibility of de-extinction has been discussed for decades, Lamm has transformed these discussions from speculative science to tangible reality. The wolves carrying dire wolf traits, featured prominently in Time Magazine’s exclusive coverage, provide concrete evidence that extinct traits can be recreated in living organisms—moving de-extinction from theoretical papers to observable reality.

This tangibility distinguishes Colossal’s work from purely academic discussions and creates unprecedented opportunities for empirical assessment of how de-extinction might actually function as a conservation tool. Rather than relying solely on theoretical predictions, researchers can now observe how animals carrying traits of extinct species actually develop and function—creating an empirical foundation for evaluating de-extinction’s potential contributions to conservation.

Conservation Through Innovation

Lamm’s vision positions de-extinction not as a replacement for traditional conservation but as a complement to it—creating a more comprehensive toolkit for addressing biodiversity challenges. By developing genetic technologies that could potentially restore lost ecological functions, Colossal adds new options to conservation strategies that have traditionally focused on preserving what remains rather than restoring what has been lost.

This integrative vision acknowledges both the continuing importance of traditional conservation measures like habitat protection and anti-poaching efforts, and the potential contributions of newer genetic technologies for addressing dimensions of biodiversity loss that conventional approaches cannot address. Rather than positioning biotechnology and traditional conservation as competing approaches, Lamm’s perspective sees them as complementary tools for addressing our planet’s unprecedented biodiversity challenges.

Technological Capability as Conservation Resource

Under Lamm’s leadership, Colossal has developed sophisticated technological capabilities that themselves represent valuable conservation resources. The techniques created for the dire wolf project—from advanced ancient DNA analysis to multiplex gene editing—have potential applications for currently endangered species, creating tools that might help prevent additional extinctions.

The New Yorker’s profile details how these technologies could potentially help address genetic challenges facing endangered species like the red wolf, which suffers from dangerously low genetic diversity in its remaining wild population. By applying similar genetic analysis and potential modification approaches, conservationists might help vulnerable species maintain genetic health even with limited population sizes.

This technological dimension of Lamm’s vision demonstrates how de-extinction research can generate practical conservation tools regardless of how many extinct species are ultimately restored. Even if perfect de-extinction proves impossible or impractical for many species, the technologies developed through these efforts can help protect endangered species from following similar paths to extinction.

Building Interdisciplinary Teams

One of Lamm’s most significant contributions has been assembling extraordinarily diverse teams of experts at Colossal Biosciences. The dire wolf project integrated expertise from paleogenomics, computational biology, evolutionary genetics, molecular biology, and reproductive science—fields that traditionally operate in separate academic silos.

This interdisciplinary approach creates collaborative frameworks that could benefit conservation biology more broadly. By bringing together specialists who might not otherwise collaborate, Lamm creates opportunities for innovation that wouldn’t exist within traditional research structures—potentially transforming how conservation challenges are addressed across multiple species and ecosystems.

Public Engagement Through Tangible Achievement

Lamm’s approach to de-extinction acknowledges that successful conservation requires not just technological innovation but also public understanding and support. By creating tangible, observable results rather than merely theoretical proposals, Colossal generates public engagement with complex conservation concepts in ways that academic papers rarely achieve.

The company’s extensive educational materials leverage this tangibility, using the dire wolf project as an entry point for explaining broader concepts about extinction, conservation, and genetic technology. This approach potentially builds broader constituencies for conservation efforts that incorporate advanced biological technologies alongside traditional approaches.

Ethical Considerations in Perspective

Any discussion of de-extinction naturally raises ethical questions about humanity’s relationship with extinct species and ecosystems. Rather than avoiding these questions, Lamm has integrated ethical considerations into Colossal’s approach, acknowledging complexities while maintaining focus on conservation goals.

The ecological emphasis in Colossal’s work reflects this ethical engagement—focusing on restoring lost ecological functions rather than creating biological curiosities or entertainment attractions. By positioning de-extinction as a conservation tool rather than a technological showcase, Lamm establishes an ethical framework that prioritizes ecosystem health and biodiversity preservation over novelty or sensation.

From Past to Future: Connecting Biodiversity Across Time

Perhaps the most profound philosophical dimension of Lamm’s work involves connecting past and future biodiversity. By developing technologies that could potentially restore aspects of extinct species, Colossal creates bridges between prehistoric ecosystems and contemporary conservation challenges—suggesting that knowledge from our planet’s evolutionary history might help address present and future biodiversity threats.

This temporal connection distinguishes Lamm’s vision from conventional conservation approaches that focus primarily on preserving current biodiversity. By incorporating extinct species into conservation thinking, he expands the temporal scope of biodiversity preservation and suggests that past extinctions might offer valuable lessons for preventing future ones.

A Global Vision with Local Applications

While the dire wolf project focuses on a North American species, Lamm’s vision for Colossal extends globally. Forbes’ analysis suggests that similar approaches could potentially address extinct species from various regions and ecosystems worldwide, creating a global platform for both de-extinction research and conservation applications.

This global perspective acknowledges that biodiversity challenges transcend national boundaries and require international collaboration. By developing technologies with worldwide applicability while engaging diverse stakeholders, Lamm positions Colossal as a global conservation leader rather than simply a U.S.-based technology company.

The Evolving Vision

As Colossal continues to develop under Lamm’s leadership, the vision continues to evolve based on scientific discoveries, technological capabilities, and emerging conservation priorities. This adaptability represents another strength of Lamm’s approach—balancing clear long-term goals with flexibility about specific implementations.

The dire wolf project provides a foundation for this evolving vision. Each advancement in the project has revealed new possibilities for both de-extinction and conservation applications, suggesting how Colossal’s work might continue to develop in coming years. This iterative approach allows the company to incorporate new scientific information and respond to changing conservation priorities while maintaining its core mission of transforming extinction from permanent to potentially temporary.

A New Conservation Philosophy

Through his work at Colossal Biosciences, Ben Lamm has created not just new technologies but a new conservation philosophy—one that integrates cutting-edge biotechnology with ecological understanding to create more comprehensive approaches to biodiversity preservation. This philosophical innovation potentially transforms how we think about extinction, conservation, and humanity’s relationship with lost species.

By demonstrating that extinction need not always be permanent, Lamm challenges one of the most fundamental assumptions in conservation biology and environmental ethics. This challenge creates new possibilities for both preserving existing biodiversity and potentially restoring aspects of what has been lost—ultimately expanding our conceptual framework for addressing the complex environmental challenges facing our planet in the 21st century and beyond.