A Dallas-based company claims to have resurrected the dire wolf, an extinct species that last roamed the Earth over 12,500 years ago, using advanced genetic technologies.
A U.S. company, Colossal Biosciences, has announced a groundbreaking achievement: the revival of the dire wolf, a species that has been extinct for more than 12,500 years. The dire wolf, made famous by the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” is said to have been brought back to life through innovative genome-editing and cloning techniques.
According to Colossal Biosciences, this marks the world’s first successful instance of what they term a “de-extincted animal.” However, some experts have raised concerns, suggesting that the company may have merely genetically modified existing wolves rather than truly resurrecting the extinct apex predator.
Historically, dire wolves roamed the American midcontinent during the Ice Age. The oldest confirmed fossil of a dire wolf, dating back approximately 250,000 years, was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In “Game of Thrones,” these wolves are portrayed as larger and more intelligent than their modern counterparts, exhibiting fierce loyalty to the Stark family, a central noble house in the series.
Colossal’s project has produced three litters of dire wolves, including two adolescent males named Romulus and Remus, and a female puppy called Khaleesi. The scientists utilized blood cells from a living gray wolf and employed CRISPR technology—short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”—to make genetic modifications at 20 different sites. According to Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientist, these modifications were designed to replicate traits believed to have helped dire wolves survive in cold climates during the Ice Age, such as larger body sizes and longer, fuller, light-colored fur.
Of the 20 genome edits made, 15 correspond to genes identified in actual dire wolves. The ancient DNA used in the project was extracted from two fossils: a tooth from Sheridan Pit, Ohio, approximately 13,000 years old, and an inner ear bone from American Falls, Idaho, dating back around 72,000 years.
The genetic material was transferred into an egg cell from a domestic dog, and the embryos were subsequently implanted into surrogate domestic dogs. After a gestation period of 62 days, the genetically engineered pups were born.
Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, described this achievement as a significant milestone, emphasizing that it represents the first of many examples showcasing the effectiveness of the company’s comprehensive de-extinction technology. “It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,’” Lamm stated. “Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
Colossal Biosciences has previously announced similar initiatives aimed at genetically altering cells from living species to create animals resembling other extinct species, such as woolly mammoths and dodos. In addition to the dire wolves, the company recently reported the birth of two litters of cloned red wolves, which are critically endangered. This development is seen as evidence of the potential for conservation through de-extinction technology.
During a recent announcement, Lamm mentioned that the team had met with officials from the Interior Department in late March regarding their projects. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praised the work on social media, calling it a “thrilling new era of scientific wonder.” However, some scientists have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of restoring extinct species.
Corey Bradshaw, a professor of global ecology at Flinders University in Australia, voiced concerns about the claims made by Colossal Biosciences. “So yes, they have slightly genetically modified wolves, maybe, and that’s probably the best that you’re going to get,” Bradshaw remarked. “And those slight modifications seem to have been derived from retrieved dire wolf material. Does that make it a dire wolf? No. Does it make a slightly modified gray wolf? Yes. And that’s probably about it.”
Colossal Biosciences asserts that the wolves are currently thriving in a secure 2,000-acre ecological preserve in Texas, which is certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the USDA. Looking ahead, the company plans to restore the species in secure and expansive ecological preserves, potentially on indigenous land.
This ambitious project raises important questions about the future of conservation and the ethical implications of de-extinction efforts. As the debate continues, the work of Colossal Biosciences may pave the way for new approaches to preserving biodiversity.
According to Fox News, the implications of this project extend beyond mere scientific curiosity, potentially influencing conservation strategies for endangered species in the years to come.