Critics of de-extinction research hit by mystery smear campaign
Several researchers who have been critical of Colossal Biosciences’ plans to revive extinct animals say they have been targeted by online articles trying to discredit them
By Matthew Sparkes
31 July 2025
Vincent Lynch (left) and Nic Rawlence have been targeted by negative articles
Berlin Communications/Ken Miller
Academics who have questioned the validity of efforts to “de-extinct” animals like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf have complained of an apparent campaign to discredit them. They believe the attacks are intended to deter criticism of de-extinction projects, a controversial research area attracting considerable attention from the media and investors.
Biotech company Colossal Biosciences has, over several years, announced efforts to recreate animals including the woolly mammoth, thylacine, dire wolf and giant moa bird. All these are extinct, but the company aims to modify the genomes of related creatures still living today to bring them back. Many scientists have said this can only lead to animals with partially modified genomes, not true recreations.
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Vincent Lynch at the University at Buffalo, New York, Flint Dibble at Cardiff University, UK, Victoria Herridge at the University of Sheffield, UK, and Nic Rawlence at the University of Otago in New Zealand have all publicly criticised Colossal’s efforts, and now say that they have seen blog posts and YouTube videos attacking their expertise and credentials posted online. Some have also received frivolous copyright notices demanding they remove their own content.
“Tori Herridge has become a controversial figure in modern science discourse, with many arguing that her lack of qualifications in crucial fields renders her critiques both uninformed and harmful,” reads one article, published on BusinessMole, a business news site.
While none of the academics have any evidence of who is behind the campaign, most of the content specifically mentions their comments on Colossal and shares similar phrasing and content. Tests for AI-generated content run by New Scientist suggest many of the articles were created by chatbots.
