Scientists bring back the great direwolf, a species extinct more than 12,500 years ago

The company Colossal Biosciences achieved a historic milestone Monday by bringing back the mythical direwolf, which had been extinct for more than 12,500 years. This breed of wolf, which became world famous in recent years as theinspiration for the wolf symbol of House Stark in the Games of Thrones series, used to live in Americaduring the Pleistocene period, 3 million years ago. Numerous scientists concluded that this species officially became extinct during the final period of the last ice age experienced by planet Earth.

The scientific company managed to turn this species into the first "de-extinct" animal in the history of mankind, after giving life to two six-month-old cubs named Remo and Romulus. A company spokesman explained that such a milestone was possible after modifying genes derived from DNA found in 2021 in several fossils of the direwolf from between 11,500 and 72,000 years ago. Also, Colossal Biosciences explained in a statement that some of the DNA came from a 72,000-year-old skull and a 13,000-year-old tooth, also revealing the creation of a female puppy whom they named Khalessi.

Video of the wolves

The company also noted that the "creation" of these wolves came about after using the DNA found to edit 20 different genes from gray wolvesto endow the animals with the characteristics of direwolves, also known as giant wolves. Eventually, company scientistscreated several embryos from the edited gray wolf cells and implanted them into surrogate mothers who eventually gave birth to the three puppies.

Through its X account, the company posted avideo of the puppies Remus and Romulus howling, in the hands of one of the scientists. In its press release, Colossal Biosciences emphasized that the three wolves created by them are cared for in an ecological reservethat is duly certified by the American Humane Society. This reserve includes numerous interaction zones where the wolves are free to roam, under constant surveillance via drones, security personnel and live cameras.

Are they really direwolves?

Despite Colossal Biosciences's announcement, New Scientist magazine explained in a article published shortly after the release of the video that what was done by the company was not exactly reviving the direwolf, but rather modifying the DNA of modern gray wolves by editing 20 genes, 15 of which came from the genome of the so-called giant wolf. The journal detailed that these genomes are designed to change the shape of the ears, musculature and size of the animals, adding that the remaining five would serve to give them a lighter coat and thus have greater resemblance to the direwolves, without actually being of this breed.

The magazine added in its article that, beyond the fact that the physical resemblance to direwolves is evident, both Remus and Romulus and Khalessi are really modified gray wolves. The media outlet added that there is no relationship between the two wolf species being separated by millions of years of evolution, and detailed that other species such as African wild dogs or even jackals are more closely related to gray wolves than to direwolves.