Colossal Biosciences has successfully brought back the dire wolf after more than 12,500 years of extinction in a scientific milestone that merges cutting-edge biotechnology with ancient history. This achievement represents a breakthrough in genetic science and potentially a transformative moment for conservation efforts worldwide.
The Dallas-based company, co-founded by tech entrepreneur Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, announced the birth of three dire wolf pups—two males named Romulus and Remus, born in October 2024, and a female named Khaleesi, born in January 2025. These snowy-white canids with powerful jaws and broad shoulders result from meticulous genetic engineering using ancient DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull.
“I could not be more proud of the team,” said Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal. “This massive milestone demonstrates that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works. Our team took DNA from ancient samples and made healthy dire wolf puppies.”
What makes this achievement particularly remarkable is the relatively small number of genetic changes needed to transform a modern gray wolf into something resembling its prehistoric relative. Researchers at Colossal identified just 20 edits across 14 genes that account for the dire wolf’s distinctive features, including their white coat, more powerful shoulders, wider head, and characteristic vocalizations.
The process began with sequencing the dire wolf genome from ancient samples. Next, scientists harvested cells from gray wolves—the dire wolf’s closest living relative—and edited their genetic code to match the ancient template. These modified cells were then used to create embryos that were implanted in domestic dog surrogates.
Beyond the scientific achievement, the return of the dire wolf raises important questions about the future of conservation biology. Colossal maintains that the same technologies used to resurrect extinct species can be applied to protect endangered ones. Alongside the dire wolf announcement, the company revealed it had successfully cloned four red wolves, one of the most critically endangered species in North America.
“The mission of helping to preserve species alive today and save them from the brink of extinction is an incredibly admirable mission,” noted Dr. Julie Meachen, a wolf researcher interviewed by ABC News.
The three dire wolves currently reside in a secure 2,000-acre preserve at an undisclosed location in the United States. They are monitored around the clock and maintained in conditions certified by the American Humane Society. Already, the young wolves are exhibiting behaviors distinctly different from domestic dogs—keeping their distance from humans and displaying the caution typical of wild canids.
Some scientists have questioned whether these animals should truly be called “dire wolves,” suggesting they are more accurately described as genetically modified gray wolves with some dire wolf traits. However, the debate doesn’t diminish the significance of what Colossal has accomplished.
As Ben Lamm and his team look to the future, they envision expanding this work to other species. The company is already developing technologies to bring back the woolly mammoth, with a target date of 2028 for the first calf. They’re also working on de-extinction projects for the dodo and thylacine (Tasmanian tiger).
Through its groundbreaking work with dire wolves, Colossal Biosciences is pioneering new approaches to genetic conservation that could help reverse the tide of extinction threatening so many species today. Whether the goal is resurrecting extinct creatures or preserving those on the brink, the genetic tools developed by Lamm’s team represent a revolutionary new frontier in our relationship with the natural world.
