In a significant achievement, the Researchers at Colossal Biosciences have successfully revived the dire wolf. Colossal Biosciences is a Texas-based genetic engineering company. They have achieved a groundbreaking feat in the field of de-extinction. Dire wolf is a species that went extinct around 12,500 years ago. They were revived back using ancient DNA and cutting-edge genetic technology.
The result? Three beautiful wolf pups- Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. All three closely resemble the long-lost predators once native to North America.
“The three litters of Colossal’s dire wolves include two adolescent males (Romulus and Remus) and one female puppy (Khaleesi). Colossal also birthed two litters of red wolves 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),” the company said.
Genetic Engineering Brings Ancient Wolves to Life
According to the researchers at Colossal Biosciences, a process that combined cloning, CRISPR gene editing, and ancient DNA extraction, was used to recreate the dire wolves. The team used DNA from fossilized remains, including a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull fragment.
This helped to modify the genetic makeup of gray wolf cells. These modified cells were then implanted in domestic dog surrogates, leading to the birth of the three genetically engineered pups. The pups Romulus and Remus, both six months old, already weigh over 36 kg and stand nearly four feet tall.
Meet Romulus and Remus—the first animals ever resurrected from extinction. The dire wolf, lost to history over 10,000 years ago, has returned. Reborn on October 1, 2024, these remarkable pups were brought back to life using ancient DNA extracted from fossilized remains.
Watch… pic.twitter.com/XwPz0DFoP5
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025
The Colossal Biosciences in a post on X wrote, “Meet Romulus and Remus—the first animals ever resurrected from extinction. The dire wolf, lost to history over 10,000 years ago, has returned. Reborn on October 1, 2024, these remarkable pups were brought back to life using ancient DNA extracted from fossilized remains.”
Not Your Average Wolf
The experts note that while these revived pups resemble the extinct dire wolves their behavior may not fully mimic their ancient counterparts. The ancient Dire wolves were known for their larger size, stronger jaws, and hunting prowess. They also have a slightly thicker fur and stronger jaw.
However, their behavioral traits, such as hunting techniques, are not easily replicated exactly like the dire wolves. As Colossal’s animal care expert Matt James explained, the pups’ isolation from wild parents means they will never fully learn the survival skills of their extinct ancestors.
While talking to the Time Magazine, George Church, Colossal co-founder, and professor of genetics at both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stated, “The idea that we could just take a vial of blood, isolate EPCs, culture them, and clone from them, and they have a pretty high cloning efficiency, we think it’s a game changer.”
A Vision for the Future of De-Extinction
Colossal Biosciences’ work on dire wolves is part of a broader mission to resurrect other iconic extinct species, including woolly mammoths, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers. The company’s co-founder, Ben Lamm, hailed the birth of the dire wolf pups as a major milestone, demonstrating the effectiveness of their de-extinction technology.
“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, in a press statement. “Our team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies.”
The pups howl for the first time in over 10,000 years
Colossal also shared a video on X, capturing the moment dire wolf puppies howled for the first time in over 10,000 years. The caption reads: “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.
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