The idea of resurrecting long-extinct creatures has fascinated the public for decades, fueled by blockbuster films, bold scientific claims, and the tantalizing promise of rewriting nature’s rules. On August 10, 2025, the latest installment in the Jurassic Park franchise hit theaters, reigniting a debate that’s as old as the first novel by Michael Crichton: Could we really bring back dinosaurs, or is the dream of de-extinction reserved for creatures a little closer to our own epoch?
Michael Crichton’s original Jurassic Park, published in the 1990s, planted the seed of possibility by proposing that dinosaur DNA, preserved in the blood meals of ancient mosquitoes fossilized in amber, could be extracted and used to clone these long-lost giants. The concept, inspired by rapid advances in genetic engineering and the then-new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology of the 1980s, captured the imagination of millions. Steven Spielberg’s cinematic adaptation only amplified the intrigue, with its iconic branding and thrilling narrative that left audiences wondering: What if?
Fast forward to today, and the world of de-extinction is no longer confined to the realm of fiction. According to LADbible, billionaire Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, has made headlines by revealing ambitious plans to bring back the woolly mammoth and other extinct species. Lamm’s journey into the world of de-extinction began with a fateful call from Harvard biologist George Church. The conversation, as Lamm recounted, was brief but life-changing: “By the way, I’m working to bring back mammoths and other extinct species to reintroduce them back into the Arctic and regenerate the ecosystem. But I have to go now. Goodbye.” Lamm was hooked. “I had just heard the greatest thing ever, and then the call was over. I stayed up all night reading articles and listening to interviews about all these things,” he told Metro.
While the notion of resurrecting dinosaurs remains, for now, a flight of cinematic fancy, Colossal Biosciences has already achieved what many thought impossible. Earlier in 2025, the company successfully created three dire wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—named after the legendary founders of Rome and a character from Game of Thrones, respectively. These pups were not the product of ancient DNA extracted from amber, but rather the result of modified DNA from the dire wolves’ closest living relatives. The process, though not without critics, yielded animals with a genetic makeup strikingly similar to their prehistoric counterparts.
Some scientists have expressed skepticism about the accuracy of such recreations. One expert, as cited by LADbible, likened the process to “re-building the library of Alexandria using PDF prints of the books.” Yet, the achievement stands: the dire wolf, extinct for thousands of years, has returned—at least in a form that’s genetically close enough for many to consider it a triumph.
Colossal’s ambitions don’t stop at dire wolves. The company has set its sights on reviving the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the thylacine (better known as the Tasmanian tiger). Lamm has even voiced interest in bringing back the Moa, a giant flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand. The company’s roadmap is as audacious as it is controversial, with Lamm suggesting that 2028 could be a realistic date for the woolly mammoth’s return to the Arctic tundra.
But why bring these animals back? Lamm, in his interviews, has emphasized the ecological importance of keystone species—apex predators and large herbivores whose presence is crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance. “When a keystone species is removed from the environment, the environment starts to change. Re-wilding of the wolves, for example. They got rid of the wolves because of the fear that predators are bad. But apex predators and large herbivores are incredibly important to the ecosystem. If you remove a predator, there’s less animals because everything gets out of balance,” Lamm explained.
This ecological argument isn’t just theoretical. The history of the Pyrenean ibex, as reported by LADbible, provides a cautionary tale. The ibex was brought back from extinction three years after disappearing in 2000, only for its clone to die moments after birth. The story underscores both the promise and the peril of de-extinction science: even when the technical hurdles are overcome, the practical and ethical challenges remain daunting.
As for dinosaurs, the scientific consensus is clear: the hurdles are far higher. The DNA required to resurrect a dinosaur is simply too degraded after tens of millions of years. According to ARA, the premise of extracting dinosaur DNA from mosquitoes trapped in amber, as depicted in Jurassic Park, remains in the realm of speculative fiction. Advances in PCR and other genetic technologies have revolutionized our ability to manipulate DNA, but the raw material—the intact genetic code of a Tyrannosaurus or Triceratops—has yet to be found, and may never be.
That hasn’t stopped the conversation from evolving. The latest Jurassic Park film, released in August 2025, arrives at a moment when the boundaries between science fiction and reality are blurrier than ever. Public fascination with de-extinction is at an all-time high, fueled not just by Hollywood, but by real-world breakthroughs that would have seemed impossible a generation ago.
Still, many scientists urge caution. The ecological consequences of reintroducing extinct species—especially those that vanished for a reason—are unpredictable. While rewilding efforts, such as the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, have demonstrated the positive impact of restoring keystone species, the risks of bringing back animals like the mammoth or dodo are less well understood. Could these creatures thrive in today’s changed ecosystems? Or would their return create new imbalances, unforeseen by even the most well-intentioned scientists?
For now, the dream of resurrecting dinosaurs remains just that—a dream. But the work of Ben Lamm and Colossal Biosciences suggests that de-extinction, once the stuff of novels and movies, is inching closer to reality for some species. As the boundaries of what’s possible continue to expand, the world watches with a mixture of excitement, skepticism, and a touch of trepidation. After all, if there’s one lesson to be learned from Jurassic Park, it’s that nature doesn’t always cooperate with human ambition.
The debate over de-extinction is far from settled, but one thing is certain: the line between science fiction and science fact is thinner than ever, and the next chapter in this story is just beginning.
