Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based biotech firm, stunned the world on April 7, 2025. They claim to have revived the dire wolf, extinct for 13,000 years. “Game of Thrones” fans rejoice at this news. The dire wolf, a symbol of ancient wildness, now sparks awe and debate. Is this a true resurrection? Or something else? Let’s explore the science, controversy, and stakes.
Back from the Ice Age
Dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus) ruled the Pleistocene. They outmatched modern gray wolves in size and strength. Their powerful jaws crushed megafauna like bison and horses. They roamed North and South America until the Ice Age ended. Prey vanished, and so did they. Fossils remained, but no living kin—until now, says Colossal. Three pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—embody their bold claim.
How They Did It
Colossal’s team extracted DNA from ancient fossils. A 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old skull from Idaho provided the code. Scientists sequenced the dire wolf genome. They compared it to gray wolves, the closest kin. Key differences emerged in size, coat, and muscle traits. Using CRISPR, they edited gray wolf cells at 20 spots across 14 genes. Five edits lightened coats. Fifteen boosted size and frame. Edited cells became embryos. Surrogate dogs carried them to birth. Now, three white pups thrive in a 2,000-acre U.S. preserve. TIME and CNN detail this feat.
Breakthrough or Bust?
Colossal calls it the “first de-extinction.” Critics disagree. They label the pups modified gray wolves, not dire wolves. The species split 6 million years ago. They share 99.5% DNA, but millions of differences remain. Colossal’s 20 edits barely scratch that gap. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, defends the work. “If they look like dire wolves, they are dire wolves,” she told WIRED. Skeptics argue looks don’t equal behavior or ecology. Dire wolves hunted huge prey. That world is gone. New Scientist dives deeper into this clash.
Saving the Living Too
Colossal also cloned four red wolves (Canis rufus). This endangered species clings to survival with fewer than 20 wild members. Blood-based cloning from the dire wolf project boosts their numbers. AP News highlights this win. The firm eyes bigger goals—mammoths, dodos, thylacines. A “woolly mouse” with mammoth fur previews their progress, per Forbes.
Ethics and Risks
Reviving hybrids stirs debate. Should we craft animals for a world they don’t fit? Julie Meachen, a wolf expert, questions the focus. “Why not save today’s species?” she asks ABC News. Colossal counters with welfare wins. Their preserve earns American Humane Society praise, notes CNN. Releasing them risks chaos. Dire wolves need megafauna, not suburbs. No wild plans exist yet.
A Tale of Then and Now
Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi howl in their preserve. They echo a lost past—or hint at a new future. The New Yorker calls it ingenuity, not perfection. True dire wolves or not, they push science’s edge. Fans see “Game of Thrones” come alive. The world watches, torn between thrill and caution. What’s next from extinction’s vault?