A Dire Situation

Scientists Revive the 13,000-Year-Old Extinct Dire Wolf Species

Photo by James St. John / CC BY 2.0

In a groundbreaking development, Colossal Biosciences announced the birth of three genetically engineered wolf pups, created with ancient DNA obtained from the fossilized remains of the previously extinct Dire wolf species. Living during the Pleistocene Epoch, the Dire wolf species vanished approximately 13,000 years ago, and their fossils have been discovered across North and South America.

Colossal Biosciences is a Dallas-based biotechnology company focused on de-extinction. Utilizing CRISPR technology, they edited 14 genes in gray wolf DNA to express 20 traits associated with dire wolves. The genetically modified wolf pups–named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi–are currently being raised in a controlled environment. The company has stated that their next projects are to bring back the dodo, the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger.