Scientists just resurrected 3 puppies containing dire wolf DNA! With ancient Aenocyon Dirus (mostly known as the dire wolf) remains found across North America, this opens a great opportunity for the science company Colossal Biosciences to bring back this prehistoric beast. Say hello to Romulus, Remus, and their youngest sister Khalees. These 3 pups give hope to the future of de-extinction technology.
The History of the Dire Wolf
Dire wolves went extinct over 10 thousand years ago at the end of the age of the giant mammals, and scientists have brought them back! These canines roamed North America and South America. They were way bigger than our average gray wolf. They had a slightly wider head, lighter and thicker fur, and a stronger jaw. They lived in many habitats, including boreal grasslands, tropical wetlands, and open woodlands.
How did Scientists Resurrect the Dire Wolf?
Three dire wolf pups are born into the world, all thanks to the company Colossal Biosciences, which aims to resurrect extinct animals. They are currently looking to bring back the mammoth, dodo, and even the Tasmanian tiger. By gathering DNA from two pieces of ancient dire wolf remains, Colossal managed to genetically engineer and preserve this DNA and rewrote the code for the gray wolf, as they shared 99.5% of DNA and matched it to the dire wolf genome. Using cloning and editing technology, they transferred the DNA into donor eggs from mixed-breed large domestic hounds and had the nucleus removed, edited, and then inserted back into the egg, where the mother will nurse.
What do the Dire Wolf Pups Act Like?
What do these dire wolf pups act like? Do they enjoy human contact? Do they love to play? Well, these puppies behave like normal pups, as they are curious and enjoy playing around with one another. Although scientists noticed that these pups did not enjoy human interaction, as they would retreat or hesitate whenever a human was to approach. This shows that these pups are not domesticated or tame, proving that they are wolves, although they seem more skittish than gray wolves. However, the two male pups will act differently once their testosterone surges.
The Comparison between the Dire Wolf and the Regular Gray Wolf
The dire wolf and the gray wolf, what’s the difference? In size, a fully grown male dire wolf can grow to be 6 feet long and 150 pounds, whereas the gray wolf can grow to be 5 feet long and weigh about 110 pounds. As said before, the dire wolf has a wider head, lighter and thicker fur, and a much stronger jaw than the average gray wolf.
This is a big accomplishment for the human race to bring back an extinct animal! Let’s see what future projects arise from Colossal Scientists!
Sources:
https://time.com/7274542/colossal-dire-wolf/
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/science/dire-wolf-de-extinction-cloning-colossal/index.html
