Scientists bring back dire wolves after 12,500 years of extinction.
Colossal Biosciences has produced three dire wolf pups—two males and one female—using gene editing, cloning, and ancient DNA from fossils dated 13,000 to 72,000 years old. By editing 14 genes in gray wolf cells to match dire wolf traits like thick fur, stronger jaws, and broader skulls, scientists recreated the dire wolf phenotype. The embryos were implanted into domestic dogs.
The pups, born in late 2024 and early 2025, now live on a secure 2,000-acre site under strict oversight. While the animals are about 99.9% gray wolf, Colossal claims this is the first real proof of de-extinction in practice and a step toward reviving species like the mammoth and dodo.
The dire wolf, known scientifically as Aenocyon dirus, was a large canid that once roamed the Americas, distinguished by its bigger size, wider head, and stronger jaws compared to modern gray wolves. Colossal’s team made 20 edits across 14 genes in the gray wolf genome, with 15 of those edits based on dire wolf DNA, aiming to recreate traits like a white coat, larger stature, and thicker fur. The company hails this as the "world’s first de-extinction," suggesting it’s a milestone in reviving extinct species and potentially aiding conservation efforts for endangered animals like the red wolf.
However, this claim has sparked debate. Some experts argue these pups aren’t true dire wolves but rather genetically modified gray wolves with dire wolf-like traits. Genetic studies show dire wolves diverged from gray wolves millions of years ago, and their genomes, while 99.5% similar, still differ by millions of base pairs. Critics, including paleogeneticists, point out that ancient DNA is too fragmented to fully recreate an extinct species, meaning Colossal’s wolves are hybrids at best—gray wolves with a few dire wolf characteristics. The distinction hinges on how one defines a species: Colossal uses a morphological approach (if it looks and acts like a dire wolf, it is one), while others stick to a phylogenetic definition, emphasizing evolutionary lineage.