Colossal Biosciences, the world’s only de-extinction company, has announced the rebirth of the once extinct dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus).
Colossal Biosciences’ dire wolves, Romulus and Remus, at an age of three months (born on October 1, 2024). Image credit: Colossal Biosciences.
Dire wolves were large wolf-like canids and among the most common extinct large carnivores of the American Late Pleistocene megafauna.
These animals first appeared during the Late Pliocene, between 3.5 and 2.5 million years ago, as a consequence of admixture between two more ancient canid lineages.
Dire wolves were as much as 25% heavier than gray wolves and had a slightly wider head, light thick fur and stronger jaw.
As hyper-carnivores, their diet comprised at least 70% meat from mostly horses and bison.
They went extinct at the end of the most recent Ice Age, around 13,000 years ago.
The leading hypothesis to explain their extinction is that, owing to their larger body size compared with gray wolves and coyotes, dire wolves were more specialized for hunting large prey and were unable to survive the extinction of their megafaunal prey.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” said Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences.
“It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’.”
“Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
The three litters of Colossal Biosciences’ dire wolves include two adolescent males (Romulus and Remus) and one female puppy (Khaleesi).
They are thriving on a 2,000+ acre secure ecological preserve that includes specialized engagement zones and habit types.
They are continuously monitored through on-site live cameras, security personnel, and drone tracking to ensure their safety and welfare.
“The de-extinction of the dire wolf is more than a biological revival,” said MHA Nation Tribal Chairman Mark Fox.
“Its birth symbolizes a reawakening — a return of an ancient spirit to the world.”
“The dire wolf carries the echoes of our ancestors, their wisdom, and their connection to the wild.”
“Its presence would remind us of our responsibility as stewards of the Earth — to protect not just the wolf, but the delicate balance of life itself.”
“The work of the team at Colossal Biosciences is not only significant to our lands and people, but for conservation efforts across the globe.”
“The ability for technological innovation to bring forth something so culturally and spiritually significant to indigenous people is paralleled by the far reaching impacts that this technology provides for the future of stewardship on our planet in species diversity and conservation.”
Colossal Biosciences also birthed two litters of red wolves (Canis rufus) from three different genetic founder lines.
These litters include one adolescent female red wolf (Hope) and three male red wolf puppies (Blaze, Cinder, and Ash).
“Preserving, expanding, and testing genetic diversity should be done well before important endangered animal species like the red wolf are lost,” said Dr. George Church, a geneticist at Harvard University and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences.
“Another source of ecosystem variety stems from our new technologies to de-extinct lost genes, including deep ancient DNA sequencing, polyphyletic trait analyses, multiplex germline editing, and cloning.”
“The dire wolf is an early example of this, including the largest number of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate so far. A capability that is growing exponentially.”
