Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
In a remarkable feat of genetic engineering, Colossal Biosciences has announced the successful de-extinction of the dire wolf. Fans of the popular series Game of Thrones will recognize the iconic creature, a canine species that vanished from Earth thousands of years ago. The Texas-based biotechnology firm has revealed the birth of adolescent dire wolf pups, including two males named Romulus and Remus, and a female named Khaleesi, marking a significant milestone in conservation and species revival.
Explore the fascinating history of dire wolves, the reasons behind their prehistoric extinction, and the groundbreaking scientific processes that led to their resurgence.
Dire Wolf Definition
The dire wolf, now resurrected from extinction, was a powerful canine that roamed the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs, approximately 125,000 to 10,000 years in the past. Research conducted by Colossal Biosciences suggests these wolves typically possessed a white coat.
SOUND ON. You’re hearing the first howl of a dire wolf in over 10,000 years. Meet Romulus and Remus—the world’s first de-extinct animals, born on October 1, 2024.
The dire wolf has been extinct for over 10,000 years. These two wolves were brought back from extinction using… pic.twitter.com/wY4rdOVFRH
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025
Dire Wolf Size
Reports indicate the dire wolf’s size reached approximately 6 feet in length, with a weight range of 130 to 150 pounds.
Extinction of the Dire Wolf: Contributing Factors
Several elements played a role in the dire wolf extinction. Climate shifts and interspecies competition are recognized as common drivers of animal extinction. Furthermore, the dire wolf’s dependence on megaherbivores, large plant-eating mammals, is considered a significant factor in their disappearance.
Colossal Biosciences: De-extinction Pioneers
Colossal Biosciences is a leading biotechnology and genetic engineering firm specializing in advanced de-extinction projects. The company’s portfolio also includes ambitious initiatives focused on the revival of the woolly mammoth, the northern white rhinoceros, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo bird.
In an April 2025 press statement, Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm expressed immense pride, stating, “I could not be more proud of the team. This monumental achievement is the first in a series of demonstrations proving the efficacy of our comprehensive de-extinction technology. Our scientists utilized DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to produce healthy dire wolf pups. It has been said that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Today, our team is revealing some of the magic they are cultivating and its wider implications for conservation efforts.”
We’re Colossal Biosciences, the de-extinction company responsible for bringing back the first animals from extinction. Our dire wolf pups, Romulus and Remus, were born on October 1, 2024. Watch these pups grow up on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.
These two wolves were… pic.twitter.com/hbk1wFQ3lf
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025
Methodology: Dire Wolf De-extinction by Colossal Biosciences
Colossal Biosciences, in their press release, detailed the sophisticated process employed to successfully achieve dire wolf de-extinction. The key steps undertaken by the research team include:
- Extraction and sequencing of ancient DNA from two dire wolf fossils.
- Assembly of ancient genomes from both specimens and comparative analysis against genomes from extant canids, such as wolves, jackals, foxes, and dholes.
- Identification of unique gene variants specific to dire wolves.
- Determination of physical characteristics including a white coat and long, dense fur in dire wolves.
- Application of multiplex gene editing to a donor genome derived from the gray wolf, the closest living relative.
- Screening of edited cell lines through comprehensive whole genome sequencing and karyotyping.
- Cloning of high-quality cell lines using somatic cell nuclear transfer into donor egg cells.
- Execution of embryo transfer and management of interspecies surrogacy.
- Successful birth of a de-extinct species, the dire wolf.
Dr. George Church: Visionary Behind De-extinction
Dr. George Church is a distinguished geneticist, molecular engineer, chemist, and a co-founder of Colossal Biosciences. Among his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Church is a professor at Harvard University, where his laboratory has incubated approximately 50 biotech companies. Furthermore, he was recognized in Time magazine’s 2017 ‘Time 100’ list of the world’s most influential individuals.
Dr. Church commented on his company’s groundbreaking dire wolf de-extinction achievement in Colossal’s press release. The geneticist emphasized, “Preserving, expanding, and assessing genetic diversity must be prioritized, particularly for critically endangered animal species like the red wolf, before they are irrevocably lost. Our innovative de-extinction technologies, encompassing deep ancient DNA sequencing, polyphyletic trait analyses, multiplex germline editing, and cloning, offer another avenue to augment ecosystem variety. The dire wolf project serves as an initial demonstration of this potential, marked by the most extensive set of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate to date – a capability that is rapidly advancing.”