Ancient DNA from the dire wolf — a predator believed to have vanished over 10,000 years ago — has been partially revived in three laboratory-born pups created by Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology firm that claims to be ushering in the era of de-extinction.
In what the company describes as a landmark genetic breakthrough, scientists reconstructed the dire wolf’s genome from preserved samples and edited the DNA of the modern grey wolf to match, reports Forbes.
The resulting pups — named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — were delivered by domestic dogs serving as surrogate mothers.
The animals, resembling the legendary predator that once roamed the Americas during the Late Pleistocene, are being lauded by some as the first successful de-extinction of a species whose genetic lineage has long since disappeared.
However, scepticism abounds.
According to NewScientist, the pups are essentially genetically modified grey wolves, altered only partially to reflect the dire wolf’s genome.
Colossal’s ambitions do not end with canines. In March, the firm announced it had engineered a creature dubbed the "woolly mouse" — a new species created to test the genetic traits associated with the extinct woolly mammoth, including dense fur and enhanced metabolism suited to frigid climates.
This marks a step towards one of the company's founding goals: reviving the woolly mammoth, along with the dodo and Tasmanian tiger.
Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Ben Lamm — valued at $3.7 billion — and Harvard geneticist George Church, Colossal recently secured a valuation of $10.2 billion following a major funding round in January.
Church, notably, holds no equity in the company.
Colossal maintains that its work has conservation value. The company is reportedly in discussions with the state of North Carolina about deploying its genetic toolkit to assist in the recovery of the endangered red wolf.
Talks are also ongoing with an undisclosed island nation concerning biodiversity contracts to protect endangered species, though no agreements have been finalised.
Yet the notion of de-extinction remains contentious. Critics question its scientific rigour and ecological merit. “Bringing back the mammoth is ill-advised, ill-thought-through, and a stunt to attract investment,” said Karl Flessa, a professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona, in comments to Forbes.
“Releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment — what could go wrong?”
The dire wolf, Canis dirus, was the largest member of the dog family during the Late Pleistocene, with fossil records dating back between 129,000 and 11,700 years.
First unearthed in 1854 along the Ohio River, its skull could reach a foot in length, with teeth significantly larger than those of today’s grey wolves — a reflection of its role as a formidable predator of its time.
Though the DNA of ancient beasts is stirring once more, whether these creatures can truly walk again — or simply mimic the long-gone ghosts of evolution — remains a subject of fierce scientific and ethical debate.