Colossal Biosciences, the company best known for its efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth, claims to have "de-extincted" several dire wolves, but scientists describe what they’re doing as “wrong.”
Remus and Romulus, born on October 1st last year, are being hailed by the company as the world’s first de-extinct animals – part of Colossal’s mission to re-create species long lost to extinction using CRISPR, an advanced genetic engineering technique.
The third dire wolf, named Khaleesi, after a Game of Thrones character, was born on January 31st earlier this year, according to Colossal. She is the first female dire wolf brought back from extinction, the firm said.
Dire wolves are a prehistoric species believed to have vanished around 10,000 years ago.
The classification of Colossal’s pups as “dire wolves” has been questioned, with some critics arguing they are in fact gray wolves genetically modified to resemble what dire wolves are believed to have looked like.
In any case, the lives of all three can be followed on YouTube, where the firm set up a playlist entitled “The Dire Wolf is Back from Extinction" on its channel. It features a clip of Remus and Romulus howling, described by Colossal as “the first dire wolf howl in over 10,000 years.”
The video clip racked up hundreds of thousands of views within a day of being posted. Other moments from the wolves’ lives show Remus and Romulus taking their first steps, napping, and, later, learning to socialize and compete with each other as they grow.
The channel says it will also follow the life of Khaleesi, now three months old, who is described as being “destined to stand as an equal” alongside her six-month-old brothers.
“This moment marks not only a milestone for us as a company but also a leap forward for science, conservation, and humanity,” Colossal said in a post on X. It added, “But this isn’t just our moment – it’s one for science, our planet, and humankind.”
The news was first revealed when TIME magazine unveiled its latest cover, featuring Remus – one of the dire wolves re-created by Colossal – alongside the headline: “Endangered species could be changed forever.”
TIME's new cover: The dire wolf is back after over 10,000 years. Here's what that means for other extinct species https://t.co/LQtosdfiEf pic.twitter.com/bv8EbeefuW
undefined TIME (@TIME) April 7, 2025
Billionaire Elon Musk re-shared the magazine cover along with a picture showing the dire wolf-like pups resting on the Iron Throne – another Game of Thrones reference, where the beasts feature prominently.
George R. R. Martin, the American author and creator of Game of Thrones, serves as a cultural adviser to Colossal and is also an investor. He collaborated on the reveal alongside The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, another investor, who owns the official Iron Throne prop and loaned it for the photoshoot.
The two newly born baby Dire Wolves, brought back from extinction by genetic engineering, seated on the Iron Throne. 🐺
undefined westerosies (@westerosies) April 7, 2025
George R.R. Martin serves as a Colossal Biosciences cultural advisor and investor, with Peter Jackson loaning his Iron Throne prop for the photoshoot. pic.twitter.com/Yax9WjCp7a
Right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan described the project as “[expletive] wild,” while Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the department was “excited” about the de-extinction technology.
“The revival of the dire wolf heralds the advent of a thrilling new era of scientific wonder, showcasing how the concept of ‘de-extinction’ can serve as a bedrock for modern species conservation,” Burgum said.
“Uncritical hype”
Reactions on social media offered a mix of awe and excitement, with commenters describing the development as an “unprecedented historical event that's actually nice” and a “great achievement.”
However, some have also expressed ethical and other concerns, drawing parallels with Jurassic Park. The official account for the movie franchise posted on X: “We see no possible way this could go wrong.”
We see no possible way this could go wrong https://t.co/EQaOH4fJYk
undefined Jurassic World (@JurassicWorld) April 7, 2025
Similar concerns have been shared in the scientific community, which remains cautious about Colossal’s announcement. Researchers say peer-reviewed evidence is needed to substantiate the company’s claims.
“It’s hard to say what Colossal has even done because there’s no research to show. No publication. No access to data,” said paleontologist and science writer Riley Black in a post on Bluesky.
Black described the coverage of the company’s announcement as “uncritical hype,” noting that dire wolves were not close relatives of gray wolves. “What Colossal is doing is wrong,” the author said.
Jacquelyn Hill, climate, extinction, and biodiversity scientist at the University of Maine, said that Colossal did not revive the dire wolf despite the “sensationalist” reporting. “Making genetically modified animals that are cosplaying as extinct species is not de-extinction,” she said on Bluesky.
According to a TIME article, Colossal’s scientists analyzed ancient DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to identify 20 key trait differences between dire wolves and gray wolves.
They then edited 14 specific genes in gray wolf cells to express these dire wolf characteristics. However, no dire wolf DNA was spliced into the gray wolf's genome during the editing process.
“It's a gray wolf with some gene editing,” Hill said.
Colossal Biosciences was founded in 2021 by Harvard geneticist George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm. The company aims to revive species like the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and dodo.
In addition to its research, the company emphasizes its role in conservation. Alongside the “de-extinction” of dire wolves, Colossal said it has cloned four red wolves using blood drawn from critically endangered red wolf populations in the US.
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