The “world’s first successfully de-extinct animal,” according to Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences, is a species of wolf that went extinct around 12,500 years ago.
Scientists at Colossal modified the genes of a gray wolf to produce three puppies using gene-editing, cloning, and ancient DNA technology. The business said on Monday that these new puppies are close genetic descendants of the ancient dire wolf. In essence, this creates a hybrid species that is quite similar to the long-extinct dire wolf.
Aenocyon dirus, the scientific name for the dire wolf, was a formidable predator that formerly roamed North America. Even the frightful dogs that appear in HBO’s popular series Game of Thrones were influenced by it. (CNN is also owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of HBO.) Colossal claimed that dire wolves were bigger than gray wolves, with bigger jaws, thicker fur, and slightly wider skulls.
Up until now, Colossal has not made its works with dire wolves public. The company began working on bringing extinct species like the Tasmanian tiger, woolly mammoth, and dodo back to life in 2021.
According to a news release from Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm, “This is a huge milestone—just the first of many to come—showing that our end-to-end de-extinction technology works.” “Our team created healthy wolf pups by extracting DNA from a 72,000-year-old skull and a 13,000-year-old tooth.”
Now, the three dire wolf pups reside on a secret 2,000-acre property, encircled by a fence that is 10 feet high and serves as a zoo enclosure. Drones, live camera feeds, and security guards keep an eye on the area. Colossal said the facility is registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and certified by the American Humane Society.
Ancient DNA and New Information from Fossils
Colossal’s team and their associates were able to recreate two high-quality genomes—basically, full genetic blueprints—of Aenocyon dirus by obtaining ancient DNA from two dire wolf fossils.
To identify the distinctive genetic characteristics of dire wolves, such as their long, thick fur and white coats, they compared these genomes to those of extant canids like wolves, jackals, and foxes.
Based on this analysis, they made 20 changes to 14 genes in gray wolf cells. Following their identification, the most promising cell lines were cloned and transferred into donor eggs.
Following the transfer of these embryos into surrogate moms of other species, three pups were produced, making them the first known animals of an extinct species to be born in this manner, according to Colossal. Large, mixed-breed hunting dogs were utilized as surrogates, the company revealed to CNN.
Colossal reports that a female dire wolf pup was born on January 30, 2025, after two male puppies were born on October 1, 2024.
De-extinction by Gene Editing
According to Professor Love Dalén, an evolutionary geneticist at Stockholm University’s Centre for Palaeogenetics, the corporation basically used CRISPR technology to construct a hybrid genome, removing certain gray wolf genes and substituting them with dire wolf-related ones.
Dalén stated, “There is no secret—at the genome level, it’s still 99.9% gray wolf.” “How many genes must be altered to actually recreate a dire wolf is a philosophical question that scientists debate.”
“It’s pretty amazing that these pups have dire wolf genes, which give them the most dire wolf-like appearance we’ve seen in 13,000 years.”
Although he hasn’t seen the puppies in person or worked on the editing or cloning process, Dalén, who was “somewhat” involved in the genome study, said this is a “huge leap forward” in comparison to any previous work in the field.
They have, in my opinion, effectively replicated the morphological characteristics of a dire wolf, or its phenotype. And this is what they most likely looked like, according on what we know from the DNA. Therefore, it is a dire wolf in that regard.
Colossal has raised more than $435 million since its establishment in September 2021 by Harvard scientist George Church and serial entrepreneur Ben Lamm. Reviving the woolly mammoth was the company’s first public endeavor, albeit it took longer than anticipated. By 2028, Colossal claims to be on schedule to introduce the first mammoth calves.
Possibility of Conservation
According to Colossal, endangered species could benefit from the same technology that were utilized to reproduce the dire wolf. Using a less invasive cloning method created during dire wolf research, the business said on Monday that it had successfully cloned two litters of red wolves, one of the most endangered wolf species.
However, de-extinction opponents contend that the enormous sums of money invested on these initiatives would be better spent in other areas. Additionally, some are concerned that the production and rearing of hybrid animals may endanger surrogate species.
However, citing the facility’s size and the American Humane Society’s engagement, Christopher Preston, an environmental philosophy professor at the University of Montana, claimed that Colossal seemed to be taking animal welfare seriously.
Preston continued, “They have eliminated harmful alterations that could be connected to unfavorable results and have taken careful measures to check for any unexpected genetic effects from their edits.”
However, he pointed out that it’s difficult to see dire wolves being let loose and contributing to modern ecosystems—something Colossal claims is a long-term objective with their genetically modified mammoths.
“We already struggle to maintain healthy gray wolf populations on the ground—even with political pushback—in places like Montana,” Preston stated. Therefore, it’s unlikely that dire wolves will ever be allowed to roam freely. What function will these new animals truly serve is therefore a crucial question.
A More Comprehensive View of De-Extinction
Colossal’s initiatives are a part of a broader global discussion on de-extinction, a field of study that combines cutting-edge genetics with ethical, ecological, and conservation concerns. Critics are concerned about unforeseen repercussions, expensive costs, and manipulating nature, while supporters contend that it could restore equilibrium to ecosystems that have been upset by human activities.
According to Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal, these initiatives are far from science fiction. He stated, “It’s not just about reviving extinct species.” “The goal is to create technologies that can enhance biodiversity, protect endangered species today, and possibly even undo some of the harm that humans have caused to the planet.”
Many experts, however, advise caution. The idea of reintroducing long-gone predators like the dire wolf or woolly mammoth into modern ecosystems is deeply controversial. These animals’ ability to adapt, their interactions with modern species, and the existence of the ecosystems in which they originally lived are all up for debate.
Science historian and de-extinction specialist Dr. Elizabeth Jones observes that the public’s interest in reviving extinct species frequently obscures the moral and practical issues. “Creating a living animal in a lab is one thing,” she explains. “Reintroducing that animal into the wild in a responsible manner is a completely different matter.”
The Prospects for Conservation and De-extinction
Colossal’s dire wolves are currently kept in a safe, supervised setting. Although the business has not disclosed any intentions for public exhibition or release, it states that part of its long-term strategy is to collaborate closely with ecologists, wildlife biologists, and legislators to make sure that any reintroductions in the future are sustainable and well-considered.
Their work continues to provoke discussion and interest in the interim. Depending on who you ask, these resurrected dire wolves could either be a scientific advance or a step into uncharted territory.
However, one thing is certain: science has advanced to the point where de-extinction is actually occurring and not just a theory.
According to Colossal and its collaborators, as the research develops, their ultimate objective is to apply what they learn to safeguard the future—for wolves, wildlife, and the planet itself—rather than merely resurrecting the past.
Dire Wolf Revived: Scientists Successfully Bring Back Extinct Predator
The Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences has made a significant scientific advance by successfully reviving the dire wolf, a species that went extinct around 12,500 years ago. The business has produced three dire wolf pups, the first animals to be brought back from extinction in history, using cutting-edge gene editing, cloning, and ancient DNA.
The size, appearance, and athletic prowess of these genetically modified pups, which were created by adding Aenocyon dirus-specific characteristics to gray wolf DNA, closely mirror those of their prehistoric predecessors. The enormous dogs in HBO’s Game of Thrones were notably modeled after the dire wolf.
Drones and security personnel are keeping an eye on the 2,000-acre complex where the pups are being kept. The pups, two boys born in October 2024 and one female in January 2025, were born using domestic dogs as surrogates, according to Colossal.
The project has been criticized for its practical application and ethical issues, despite being heralded as a significant turning point in de-extinction science. Reintroducing such species into contemporary ecosystems could be difficult and dangerous, according to experts.
The same technology might help safeguard endangered species today, according to Colossal, who is also aiming to bring back the woolly mammoth and dodo. Red wolves have already been cloned by the business utilizing less invasive techniques created during this study.
One thing is certain while the de-extinction discussion rages on: the science that was previously thought of as science fiction is now a reality.
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