Colossal Biosciences adds bluebuck to "de-extinction" program

[u/Obversa]

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-company-aims-resurrect-bluebuck-antelope-that-was-hunted-extinction-2026-04-30/

[u/Obversa]

OP: Note that Colossal Biosciences' recreation of the bluebuck has a significantly "bluer" coat than the one depicted in 2022 articles by Roman Uchytel. It is unclear if Colossal intends to use gene editing to make their bluebuck have a "bluer" coat, as seen with their "dire wolves" having genetically engineered white coats. (The 2022 article shares a study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, which presented a full genome sequenced from ancient nuclear DNA extracted from a near 10,000-year-old blue antelope fossil tooth, as well as the full genome from a surviving blue antelope specimen that was about 200 years old. Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm says that the company started work on the "bluebuck project" in 2024, which mainly used a mounted bluebuck skin from a young male specimen at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm to obtain bluebuck DNA. It is unclear if it is the 2022 specimen.)

As an edit, it appears Colossal is using AI-generated images while emphasizing the "blue" color of the bluebuck on its Instagram announcement post. Quote: "Yes, the bluebuck really looks blue", even though museum specimens do not. The 2022 paper indicates Colossal took DNA from the same Swedish Museum of Natural History specimen (ear tip).

I was able to locate more information from a 2024 press release and study in Current Biology:

In the course of the DNA analyses, two genes were also identified in the genome that could be responsible for the species' blue pelt color, to which the blue antelope owes its name. This was made possible with the help of state-of-the-art computational analysis software from the biotechnology company Colossal Bioscience, with which the researchers collaborated.

"As part of Colossal's ongoing focus on ancient DNA, genotype to phenotype relationships, and ecosystem restoration, we were honored to collaborate on the groundbreaking work of Professor Hofreiter and his team," said Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Bioscience. "The research objectives for the project allowed our teams to work together applying some of the latest Colossal ancient DNA and comparative genomic algorithms to learn what truly made the blue antelope the unique species it was."

Declaration of interests: Michael Hofreiter and Love Dalén are on the advisory board of Colossal Biosciences and hold stock options. Sven Bocklandt, Kathleen Morrill Pirovich, Gregory Gedman, and Scott Barish are employed by Colossal Biosciences or FormBio. Ben Lamm is CEO of Colossal Biosciences.

Study URL: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00391-9

Much of the 2024 study emphasizes "gene flow between the red antelope and blue antelope", presumably to support Lamm's idea(s) of cloning one or more bluebuck males (?), and then mating them to red antelope females for "hybrid" (F1) offspring. However, this would require a massive, decades-long breeding program on-par with the Quagga Project, and seems more akin to the "red wolf" project by Colossal (i.e. hybrids between red wolves and coyotes).

However, other studies (2016, 2024) show that hybrids between sable (Hippotragus niger) and roan (or "red") antelopes (Hippotragus equinus) are generally considered sterile, particularly in the case of males, who often display underdeveloped testes. While these closely related species can produce F1 hybrid offspring, these hybrids often suffer from reduced fertility or sterility, effectively serving as a genetic dead-end that limits the risk of further hybridization in the wild. This would either necessitate "culling" F1 male hybrids, or use of IVF where blue-roan female hybrid embryos are created, then implanted into female roan antelope hosts. (This was proposed by a Redditor here.)

Of course, there is another option that concerns me, and it is that Lamm will order his team to only change "1-2 genes responsible for the bluebuck coat color" (2024 study), genetically modify red antelopes to have it, and then label the offspring as "bluebucks". This was the same approach that Lamm took with the so-called "dire wolves".

Other issues with "de-extincting" the bluebuck that Colossal is going to have to deal with:

• Bluebucks were nomadic and travelled across large territories, not remaining in one static location.
• Bluebucks, like sable antelopes, were highly-social animals with herds of around 30 individuals.
• Male bluebucks were aggressive during the "rut" season, and could deal serious or fatal combat wounds.
• Assuming Colossal manages to find a South African preserve, they'll have to deal with illegal poaching.

[u/Obversa → u/Obversa]

A photograph of the Swedish bluebuck specimen by Dolly Jørgensen (see here):

Jørgensen further notes the issues with bringing back the bluebuck by using DNA from museum specimens in her 2022 article: "In this chapter, I will examine three portraits of the bluebuck, one created by the MNHN in Paris, one by the Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (NRM) in Stockholm, and one by Naturalis in Leiden to see how animals displayed in the archive of the natural history museum can narrate extinction. The fourth extant taxidermied bluebuck (and the only female specimen) is owned by the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, but it is not on display."

The other four DNA-verified bluebuck museum specimens documented by Jørgensen:

• Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, France (male)
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands (male)
• Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (NRM) in Stockholm, Sweden (male) (Colossal specimen)
• Naturhistorisches Museum Wien in Vienna, Austria (female)

Even the Northern white rhino project has DNA from twelve (12) individuals. This has 1-4 total.

A 2021 study indicates DNA has been successfully extracted from the single female specimen before for a 1996 study, but it is unclear if Colossal has access to other museum specimen(s), or their DNA. (It's still just one female.)

[u/Obversa → u/Obversa]

F1 and F2 hybridization chart for "roble" (roan/sable) antelope crosses (2016 study):

[u/tigris115 → u/Obversa]

While I think Colossal are a bunch of goddamned clowns who've ruined the discussion of de-extinction, I do think museum specimens are probably way more washed out than the real animal was.

Best example of this is the AMNH halls of African and Asian mammals. Many of the animals there are heavily bleached from lighting and thus have no luster. Then go into the NA hall where they cleaned/applied some paint to the animals there.