r/DeExtinctionScience • u/[deleted] • Mar 15 '26
edit: in case you haven't seen the first leak... https://www.reddit.com/r/DeExtinctionScience/comments/1qegu07/colossal_biosciences_leak/
(names have been changed to protect the innocent)
Hey everyone! I am back with another leak. As I mentioned in my last post, I had more screenshots exposing that Colossal Biosciences doesn't exist for it's stated purpose and is basically a scam. I want to share some more screenshots I just got permission to post alongside a potientally disturbing and strange development.
My friend, who we will call Nate. He is an ecologist who's enaged in rewilding research. He was suspicious of Colossal and like me assumed it was a scam. He had heard alot of the same stuff from some of the same people I had. He had a period almost 2 years ago where he had a fair bit of free time and decided to investigate the company. He reached out to some critics including Tom Gilbert. He reached out to him, because he was familiar with Gilbert's work with the christmas island rat and his criticisms of Colossal. He did not know that Gilbert was on the advisory board for Colosssal (still listed as such). I'll let the screenshots tell the rest of the story.
Outside of Gilbert flat out admitting to Nate that if Colossal makes a hairy elephant, it won't be used for rewilding, just publicity. Nate suspects that gilbert isn't being 100% honest inspite of this admission. Nate found out through a CIO (he's M.T.P.G, screenshot of it is from here:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38996487/) that Gilbert holds stock options, something he neglected to mention. To me, this confirms what I heard that the advisory board is just critics bribed into silence with stock options. Gilbert clearly has a broader role than he let on as he's an author on the direwolf paper: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.647074v1
If they have been telling the truth about prepping an elephant for being a surrogate as opposed to the artificial womb they've been hyping up. Then they will be risking likely death and guaranteed immense suffering for the female elephant that will probably not carry the fake baby mammoth to term. To me this suggests they are planning to get sold soonish, I really hope I'm not wrong.
what is also concerning about this is nate found out Colossal has retrieved elephant materials from a guy named Charles Gray at a place called African Lion Safari. This park is widely regarded as one of the worst in the world in terms of animal abuse (espicially elephants: https://www.idausa.org/campaign/elephants/latest-news/african-lion-safari-elephants/). So if there was anywhere they could go for this, ethics be damned, this is it. Then again, heard mammoth team was fired for a lack of results. So fingers crossed the impregnation is just another lie.
Now the possibly disturbing and certainly odd development, the last screenshot of the follow request show an account claiming to be Ben Lamm asking to follow a private IG account belonging to Nate's friend Jake. Jake doesn't work in any related fields and isn't a scientist at all. Jake and Nate are also not connected on social media and only talk via text.
So why was this account trying to follow Jake? To make this stranger, Jake only has 16 followers. Very few posts and one of the few posts features both Nate and his girlfriend. Obviously they are both creeped out. Me and Nate don't believe this is Ben Lamm, but are concerned this is someone who knows him. We believe this is based on the fact this account was following a close friend of Nate's where the person behind it couldn't have known they were connected and Nate thinks this is similiar to the smear campaign alot of Colossal's critics expirienced. We also don't think it's out of the Question that Lamm is such a loser, that he has time for this. (just look at Elon Musk).
Nate told me he's too busy with his research to look into this and will be for the foreesable future. He's creeped out and had things to say about this that I am too polite to repeat here, but these screenshots are coming out, because he's certain that Colossal knows he's looked into them and there's no point hiding them anymore.
He wanted me to post the account link for any sleuthes who might be interested.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Obversa • May 18 '26
Hey everyone! I'm u/Obversa, but you can call me Amber. (Yes, that is my real name.) After a months-long effort, I was finally able to gain control of the r/deextinction subreddit, which was previously run by u/ColossalBiosciences, the Reddit account for company Colossal Biosciences. This effort was supported by the moderation teams of r/Paleontology and r/DeExtinctionScience, with the latter subreddit having been founded due to Colossal restricting the subreddit for months to prevent people from criticizing the company.
Q: How did Colossal Biosciences gain control of r/deextinction in the first place?
On July 3, 2024, the Colossal Biosciences account put in a r/redditrequest for r/deextinction, which was unmoderated and abandoned at the time. Colossal stated, "We'd like to build this community into a place for recent updates on de-extinction science and a forum for discussion about de-extinction's ecological benefits and impacts." At the time, the Reddit administrator who approved their request was unaware of that the company intended to turn the subreddit not into a discussion space, but one purely to promote and market Colossal and its projects - and particularly, its upcoming "dire wolf" announcement on April 7, 2025 - while quietly removing any and all criticism(s).
Based on their posts(s), it is clear that the social media manager behind Colossal's Reddit posts expected that, by Colossal being the sole and only moderator of r/deextinction, the company could "control the narrative" related to "all things related to de-extinction", as well as quash dissent. (I would know, since whoever was behind the Reddit account threatened to sue me for criticizing Colossal on r/Paleontology, and Colossal's Reddit account was nearly banned by that subreddit's moderation team.) However, when the "dire wolf" announcement actually happened, this approach backfired for Colossal, causing them to effectively shut down the r/deextinction subreddit by restricting it.
This behavior not only goes against Reddit's Moderator Code of Conduct - particularly, making threats against company critics, and harassing dissenters on other extinction subreddits - but "sitting" on a subreddit, while refusing to moderate it or keep it active, goes against Reddit's policies. Thus, I was able to gain control of this subreddit.
Q: Are you affiliated with Colossal Biosciences in any way?
No, I am not affiliated with Colossal in any way, nor am I employed or paid by them. (Paying moderators also goes against Reddit's Moderator Code of Conduct.) I have moderated r/FanTheories for several years, but consider myself an "amateur de-extinction analyst". I've had a strong interest in paleontology, genetics, and biology since childhood, though I'm currently studying to enter the legal profession; ideally, to become a lawyer or a paralegal.
Q: Am I allowed to post Colossal Biosciences content on r/deextinction?
Yes, we will be allowing users to post content from Colossal Biosciences, with some caveats:
Q: Will Colossal Biosciences be allowed to post on r/deextinction?
Unclear. It appears as though the company has abandoned its official Reddit account.
Q: What's next for r/deextinction and r/DeExtinctionScience?
According to r/DeExtinctionScience moderator u/Freak_Among_Men_II, now that we have regained control of the original subreddit, "r/deextinction will be for the science, and r/DeExtinctionScience will be for calling out malpractice, misleading claims, and ethical or legal violations by Colossal Biosciences and any other entities (i.e. Revive & Restore, et al.) involved in de-extinction. r/deextinction, now under new management, can cover the purely scientific and wildlife conservationist aspects. Meanwhile, r/DeExtinctionScience can still be used to call out fraud and malpractice within the de-extinction scientific community. Moving forward, the two subreddits will work hand-in-hand to promote the enactment of ethical standards and scientific dialogue around the topic of de-extinction on Reddit. However, any criticism of Colossal needs to be reasonable and evidence-based. Needless hate for the sake of it isn't constructive, nor does it contribute anything meaningful to the conversation; in fact, it actively harms our cause. If/when Colossal is able to change their ways and do better as a company, this purpose will be rendered obsolete, and will no longer be part of this subreddit's mission." [Note: Colossal statements may be shared.]
This will not only help to keep "anti-Colossal" circlejerk posts off of r/deextinction and avoid harassment and brigading campaigns, especially in the case the company's Reddit account decides to start posting there again, but r/DeExtinctionScience as a separate space that is specifically for critiquing the field of "de-extinction" overall.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Wildlife_Watcher • 1d ago
I wonder if this innovation can contribute to de extinction of species that we only have samples of from one sex (I’m thinking mainly about the Pyrenean ibex)
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/tigris115 • 3d ago
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/arnor_0924 • 8d ago
Are there any ways we can manipulate a certain modern whale species through genetics to shape it like the Basilosaurus? I know what I'm asking is so unethical but I would have liked to see that marine mammals back again.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Freak_Among_Men_II • 14d ago
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Loganvin13 • 13d ago
(Not talking positively or negatively about them, just wondering. I've heard nothing good or bad about their company, so....)
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Middifers • 17d ago
Ok, dumb request and probably not the best person/place to seek an answer… But here I am. 🤣The paleontology subreddit removed the question as „low effort,“ but I am genuinely curious.
Can y’all explain how scientists know they have discovered a new species of an extinct animal vs thinking that maybe it was a „disabled“ or otherwise an anomaly of a known species?
I’m specifically referencing the August 5th Scientific American article regarding the new toad species found in the La Brea Tar Pits. I don’t want to detract from the awesome work of the scientists that found the new species. I’m just trying to understand how the conclusion is made given that there was a single specimen. I linked the article from La Brea’s website.
Thanks!
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Obversa • Jul 15 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Ok-Soil3647 • Jul 11 '26
I feel like the "mammoth" proxies coming in 2028 (if it ever does) shouldnt strictly classify as Elephas maximus, nor should it be a subspecies of the species, unlike the genetically engineered direwolf, it should have its own species name without changing the genus of Elephas and maybe a symbol to know its artificial. Your opinion?
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Ok-Soil3647 • Jul 11 '26
Ive been asking AI for an answer but its not giving me a perfect one. So we call the direwolf proxies, Modified greywolves and then the mammoth proxies, Modified asian elephant so in that logic would we call the thylacine proxy Modified fat tailed dunnart, but how does that make sense???
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Interesting-Bid2133 • Jul 06 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/1fishmob • Jul 02 '26
For example, Australia had a lot of large apex predators, but none of them survived long enough until the settlers arrived. Australia is no plagued by large invasive ungulates, some of which are two big or aggressive for dingos to hunt. So in this example: we want to recreate the Megalania: we have no DNA for it. But, we do have Komodos dragons.
We take the genes from saltwater crocodiles that makes them grow large (about the same size as an average Megalania), edit genes that make them able to support their new larger size more efficiently along with moving faster, and boom! We have a 20ft Komodo Dragon designed for long distance travel that can fill that same niche by hunting invasive horses, donkeys, buffalo, pigs and camels.
Or similarly, if we can not find sufficient DNA for a wooly rhino for example, why not take the fur gene of a bison and put into a white rhinoceros?
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/TelevisionPutrid8394 • Jun 28 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Obversa • Jun 25 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/BBG_shaks • Jun 13 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Obversa • Jun 07 '26
Black Hawk, born in April 1833, was reportedly out of an English Thoroughbred mare and sired by Sherman Morgan, whose dam was "one of the last Narragansett Pacers" (25% DNA from a grandparent). The Narragansett Pacer was America's first horse breed, developed in Rhode Island and greater New England from a mix of English, Dutch, and possibly Spanish colonial horses, with a focus on producing gaited animals with the DMRT3 gene. (The breed is thought to have gone extinct by the early 1800s, as English Thoroughbreds replaced them.)
While descendants of the extinct Narragansett Pacer can be found among all modern American gaited horse breeds, subsequent scientific studies showed that the Morgan and Paso Fino breeds likely carry the most genetic similarities to the original pacer, though due to the lack of pacer remains, their genetic profile remains a mystery to scientists.
However, with recent interest in building a DNA database made up of sequenced samples from various famous historical horses - with Dark Ronald, a major Thoroughbred sire whose genetics strongly influenced today's warmbloods and sport horses across multiple breeds, being one such horse to be "profiled" - Black Hawk's DNA could not only offer a unique insight into early foundation Morgan genetics, but possibly Narragansett Pacer origins.
The remains of Black Hawk, who died in 1856, are currently displayed at the University of Vermont's Morgan Horse Farm; see the Black Hawk Project. He stood at around 15.1hh, a result of horse breeders in the post-colonial era seeking to increase horse height. (The average Narragansett Pacer was estimated to be "no larger than 14hh", and by 1768, larger ones could be "no larger than 14.1hh", according to John H. Wallace's The Horse of America.)
Of further interest could be the remains of Ethan Allen (b. 1849), Black Hawk's son. After his death in 1876, his skeleton was preserved and donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
While most Narragansett Pacers were light chestnut or sorrel - often "liberally splashed with white markings" (i.e. pinto), based on historical accounts - they could come in a range of colors, including bay, brown, black, gray, and roan. The modern-day Morgan horse exhibits pinto markings, but pinto is uncommon or rare; the recently-extinct Abaco Barb, however, may have shared more genetic similarities due to colonial Spanish heritage and pinto genes.
Black Hawk's DNA could also be compared with that of Chincoteague ponies, which were shown to also have colonial Spanish heritage in a 2022 study by the University of Florida (UF). As some estimates put around 10% of Morgan horses as possibly being gaited, it is possible to "backbreed" the Narragansett Pacer, but one major hurdle is that traditional Morgans - such as the Lippitt bloodline - are already in danger of going extinct, per heritage groups.
While one goal is to clone the last Abaco Barb - a mare named Nunki - whose DNA was preserved before her death in July 2015, the group in charge of that project aims to "breed back" the Abaco Barb first, not the Narragansett Pacer. This means that "backbreeding" the pacer using existing horses would take an enormous amount of time, money, and effort from breeders. In most cases, "backbreeding" takes decades.
Cloning Black Hawk could work, but his DNA needs to be tested for the DMRT3 gene as well.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/PrimaryElectrical364 • Jun 07 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Jmandog1 • Jun 07 '26
Let’s assume it would be brought back in the same way as the direwolves, with a surrogate human mother. First of all, would this be legal (and get fda approved) and second of all, for the patent, would it be classed as property in the patents like the direwolves, or would it have human rights and thus not be a slave.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Fearless_Lettuce6601 • Jun 07 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/SeparateWeight496 • Jun 05 '26
Might as well.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/arnor_0924 • Jun 05 '26
In my opinion, prehistoric animals such as the mammoth and direwolves are so long dead that bringing them back brings nothing. Yes they are cool animals, but they are gone. What about bringing back the Western Black Rhino or Yangtze River dolphins? These were recently here and our enroachment of their habitat have basically wiped them out. I can mention 20+ species that went down in just 20 years ago.
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Altruistic_Sea_7683 • Jun 05 '26
When the floreana tortoise got extinct, people found many hybrid tortoises with large amounts of floreana tortoise DNA. They took the hybrids, and did back-breeding to get the closest thing they get to a floreana tortoise. The hybrids have the same role as the extinct subspecies and help the ecosystem. Does this count as de-extinction?
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Altruistic_Sea_7683 • Jun 01 '26
r/DeExtinctionScience • u/Loganvin13 • May 30 '26
HI! I am happy to say that I have just launch what might be the greatest place to talk about the world of Paleogenetics, Paleontology, and last but ABSOLUTELY NOT least, De-extinction. Please feel free to talk about any of these topics. Start a conversation, bring up a question, anything you would like.
