In an unprecedented scientific breakthrough, the US-based biotechnology company, Colossal Biosciences, has brough back the dire wolf after being extinct more than 10,000 years ago, according to CNN.
By using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology, scientists announced on April 7 that they altered the genes of a gray wolf, and the process resulted in three puppies: Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
The researchers have extracted the ancient DNA from two dire wolf fossils and assembled two high-quality Aenocyon dirus genomes.
Then, the team conducted a concise comparison between the genomes with those of living canids such as wolves, jackals and foxes.
Therefore, they were able to specify the genetic variants for the special features of dire wolves, such as white coats and thick fur.
Through the data of the genetic analysis, scientists eventually altered gray wolf cells and conducted 20 edits in 14 genes. Consequently, they cloned the most significant cell lines and turned them into donor eggs.
SOUND ON. You’re hearing the first howl of a dire wolf in over 10,000 years. Meet Romulus and Remus—the world’s first de-extinct animals, born on October 1, 2024.
The dire wolf has been extinct for over 10,000 years. These two wolves were brought back from extinction using… pic.twitter.com/wY4rdOVFRH
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025
“Healthy developing embryos were then transferred into surrogates for interspecies gestation,” with three pregnancies that led to births of the first de-extinct species, Colossal said in its statement.
Importantly, the company noted that it depended on domestic dogs like surrogates, which are large, mixed-breed hounds.
As a result, two male dire wolf pups were born on October 1, 2024, while a female pup was born on January 30, 2025.
“So, when I saw them born and they were white, I was like, we’ve done it. Those are dire wolves,” Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientist, told ABC News.
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