Scientists: Dire wolf brought back from extinction after over 10,000 years

Colossal Biosciences announced on Monday that they had brought back the dire wolf from extinction, using DNA from samples more than 10,000 years old and modified genes of modern wolves. The wolf pups are named Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi.

The company, which seeks to resurrect the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and other extinct animals, is based in Dallas, Texas. Using gene editing and cloning technology, the company altered the genes of a gray wolf, the closest living relative of the prehistoric wolf, resulting in a hybrid species that resembles its extinct predecessor in appearance.

The company said that scientists took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull, and managed to create healthy wolf pups." The three wolves live in a secret location surrounded by a 10-foot-tall fence, where they are monitored by security personnel, drones, and wildlife cameras. Colossal Biosciences said that the facility has been approved by the American Humane Association and is legally registered with the Department of Agriculture.

חוזרים לחיים: זאבי בלהות שנוצרו מחדש לאחר מעל ל-12 אלף שנים

COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES/TMX / REUTERS

The extinct wolf, Aenocyon dirus, was a predator that once roamed North America. These wolves were larger in size than gray wolves. "They had a slightly wider head, thick and bright fur, and a stronger jaw," said the company. Since 2021, it is known that Colossal operates projects to revive the mammoth, the dodo and the Tasmanian wolf, but there were no previous publications regarding its work on the dire wolves.