Are Wolf Men Real?

By Daniel Frank

Part wolf, part human – snarling shape shifting werewolves howling at a full moon is a mystical legend as common as leaves turning color in the fall. But are werewolves real? 

Let’s talk shape shifting. 

In Native American folklore, different tribes believed shapeshifting was tied to spirit guides, taking animal form due to an evil presence, or brought on by special ceremony. The Navajo believed shapeshifting was caused by dark forces and “skin walkers” could shift into crows, owls, coyotes – and one of the most common forms was the wolf. The Cherokee believed in a cat-like creature called a Wumpus Cat (you may recognize Wumpus Cats from Harry Potter), that was created when by shifting into a form resembling puma or mountain lion. 

…but werewolf folklore is missing one thing. Genetics. 

Scientifically, one would need a genetic makeup to grow sharp teeth and claws. Thick body hair doesn’t just grow on its own, never mind the growth spurt and body mass that would be required to turn into a 9-foot-tall snarling hideous beast. 

Genetic makeup is responsible for not only your bodily features like the shape of your nose or the length of your ears, but also things such as hair growth. You may take for granted things like the shape and placement of your teeth, but the gene Osr2 is a gene that turns on / off switch acting with other genes to make sure budding teeth are in the right spot. You can blame your unwanted body hair on the Lhx2 gene, which regulates hair growth. The gene called Frizzled-6 is critical in the growth and development of finger and toenails. 

We all know what causes a werewolf – you’re being bitten werewolf in its wolf like form during a full moon. Saliva from the werewolf causes a contamination to your blood – and voila! . . .you are turned into a furry snarling beast yourself. 

But is it possible?

In order for one to become a wolf man, there would need to be some form of genetic alteration from human form. Aside from the need for changes in genetic makeup, the sheer mechanics of turning into a wolf man would be gruesome and potentially deadly. Coarse body hair would tear skin and cause massive bleeding as it shot out from its roots. Fang growth would result in blood hemorrhaging from the gums. Skin on the ears would crack and bleed as the ears grew several inches. Claw growth would be excruciatingly painful, as nails protruded from cuticles. Skull elongation would not only be terribly awful but could kill the host entirely. Anyone who has suffered through growing pains as a kid can relate to the agony. 

Turning into a 9-foot-tall creature on the spot would also not be possible. 

You may know Julius “Thor” Bjornsson from his role as “The Mountain” on Game of Thrones. He is known as the World’s Strongest Man and at his peak stood nearly seven feet tall, weighing in at 395 pounds. . .but, Bjornsson didn’t become “The Mountain” by accident. He eats eight meals a day and clocks in at over 10,000 calories. By comparison, the average person consumes around 2,500 to 3,600 calories per day. His diet is coined “The Mountain Diet” and many strong men and power lifters have attempted to follow his meal plan and failed. The idea that a person would be bitten by a wolf and suddenly turn into a 9-foot tall, 500-pound beast is simply not possible without eating the equivalent of about 30 eggs and 5 pounds of meat per day. 

Then, there is the matter of turning back into human form. Genes do not become reversed once they have been changed, which would render shape shifting from a wolf man to human form impossible.  So, while shapeshifting to and from a wolf man may not be possible, there are conditions that exist rendering a person to have “wolf-like” features.

Danny Ramoz Gomez and his brother Larry has a condition called hypertrichosis, which causes his body to produce an abnormal amount of hair. Hypertrichosis is a rare condition that causes one to resemble a “wolf man.” The two perform daredevil acts in a Mexican circus. Aside from the body hair and the circus acts, the two are by all accounts normal. They are not going to eat raw meat and howl at the moon any time soon. In fact, Doctors are studying hypertrichosis as a possible cure for baldness. Scientists do not know how to reverse the Gomez brother’s condition – further evidence that shape shifting is not possible. 

…but could we potentially create a wolf man?

Japan, in 2019, has approved human-animal cellular experiments, and a human / ape embryo called a chimaera – was created and lived 19 days. Another project involved injecting human cells into a pig embryo that lived for four weeks. Studies are reportedly being done with a purpose of enhancing lab grown organs. 

Genetic research has never been more advanced than today. The Human Genome Project was launched in 1990 and completed in 2003 and provided fundamental information of the human blueprint and has accelerated and improved the practice of medicine. Born from the Human Genome Project, gene therapy and gene modification promises many potential cures for genetic disorders. Diseases such as cancer, autism, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, sickle cell anemia, among others could be cured with advances in genetic medicine. 

A promising emerging treatment called CRISP-R uses viruses to deliver material to turn off targeted genes and replace healthy DNA – potentially curing the host. There are risks, including one must become infected with a virus in order to undergo the treatment. . .which begs the question, if a wolf infected with a virus like rabies bit a human, could the viral load carry genetic material that could alter DNA? . . .and what if the animal DNA caused alterations where hair and nails and teeth grew? If we are using viruses filled with DNA to alter genes, would it be possible that a wolf bite in nature could actually turn a human into a snarling beastly wolf man?

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You decide. 

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