In an unprecedented scientific breakthrough, the extinct dire wolf has been brought back to life by biotech firm Colossal Biosciences.
Using ancient DNA and advanced gene-editing technology, the company’s scientists have successfully bred three dire wolf pups, marking a new era in de-extinction research.
This achievement, hailed as the world’s first successful de-extinction, could open the door to reviving other lost species in the near future.
Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company, announced this monumental achievement on Monday.
The resurrected dire wolf, Aenocyon dirus, is a hybrid species visually similar to its extinct predecessor, which vanished some 12,500 years ago.
Dire wolves, larger than their closest living relatives, the gray wolves, once roamed North America as apex predators and have been popularized by the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones.”
The revival of the dire wolf was achieved using a combination of ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology.
Colossal’s team utilized DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to create healthy dire wolf puppies.
“This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” said Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO.
The three dire wolf pups now reside in a 2,000-acre site at an undisclosed location. This facility is equipped with “zoo-grade” fencing and is continually monitored by security personnel, drones and live camera feeds for their safety.
Additionally, it has been certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the US Department of Agriculture.
Using ancient DNA extracted from dire wolf fossils, scientists successfully assembled two high-quality Aenocyon dirus genomes.
This information was then used to identify genetic variants specific to dire wolves and alter gray wolf cells accordingly. This intricate process involved making 20 edits in 14 genes before cloning the most promising cell lines.
The birth of these pups marks a significant breakthrough in de-extinction technology.
Two male pups were born on October 1, 2024, followed by a female pup on January 30, 2025. Love Dalén, an adviser to Colossal and professor in evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University, described this work as a “huge leap” from anything done in the field in the past.
Colossal has raised at least $435 million since its foundation in September 2021 and had previously announced plans to resurrect the mammoth.
Despite taking longer than initially projected, the company is on track to introduce the first woolly mammoth calves in 2028.
However, this groundbreaking achievement may spur debate among scientists, who may question how many genes need to be altered to truly recreate an extinct species like the dire wolf.
Despite this, Colossal is hopeful that the same technology can be used to aid endangered animals directly.
As proof of this potential, the company revealed it has produced two litters of cloned red wolves, a critically endangered species.
Critics argue that the substantial funds invested in de-extinction could be better allocated and that breeding hybrid creatures could endanger living animals used as surrogates.
However, Colossal appears to be addressing these concerns by taking precautions against unintended genetic consequences and ensuring animal welfare measures are in place.
Despite such advancements, it remains to be seen what role these resurrected creatures will play in our ecosystems.
The resurrection of the dire wolf by Colossal Biosciences represents a remarkable milestone in the fields of biotechnology and conservation.
The company’s use of gene-editing technologies, specifically CRISPR, to create a hybrid genome that closely resembles an extinct species could have far-reaching implications for biodiversity preservation and potentially even reverse the extinction of other species.
However, this development also raises complex ethical and ecological questions. Critics argue that de-extinction efforts might divert crucial resources away from protecting endangered species and preserving habitats.
Furthermore, the introduction of ‘de-extinct’ animals into existing ecosystems could have unpredictable consequences, potentially disrupting existing wildlife populations or even leading to new ecological imbalances.
Nevertheless, Colossal’s work provides a fascinating glimpse into the potential future of conservation.
The company’s simultaneous efforts to clone the critically endangered red wolf, for instance, highlights how these cutting-edge technologies could be used not just for de-extinction, but also to bolster the populations of species on the brink of extinction.
This successful resurrection of the dire wolf also underscores the rapid advancement in genetic sciences.
The process leveraged sequences from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to recreate an extinct species – an achievement that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. As Professor Love Dalén notes, this is a “huge leap” in genetic research.
Yet, as the scientific community continues to explore these new frontiers, it will be crucial to balance innovation with careful consideration of ethical and ecological impacts.
Just because we can bring back extinct species doesn’t necessarily mean we should – at least not without rigorous debate and careful planning.
