A Texas-based biotechnology company announced on Monday that it has successfully revived the long-extinct dire wolf, marking what it claims is the world's first de-extinction of a vertebrate species.
The company also reported the birth of cloned red wolves, currently the most endangered wolf species in the world.
According to the press release, the firm has successfully created dire wolf pups using DNA extracted from fossils dated to approximately 13,000 and 72,000 years ago. The pups were cloned using ancient DNA sequencing, genomic reconstruction, multiplex gene editing, and interspecies cloning using gray wolves as a donor species.
The dire wolves - two males named Romulus and Remus and a female named Khaleesi - are now being housed at a 2,000-acre USDA-registered and American Humane Society-certified ecological preserve. The company said the animals are monitored by a dedicated animal care team, security personnel, drones, and on-site veterinary staff.
Colossal stated that it performed 20 precise genetic edits to replicate extinct traits unique to dire wolves, including skeletal structure, musculature, coat color, and hair length. Of these edits, 15 were based on extinct gene variants identified through comparative analysis with living canid species.
The company also reported the successful cloning of two litters of red wolves, comprising one female and three males, from three genetically distinct cell lines. The births are part of Colossal's broader effort to apply its de-extinction technologies to contemporary conservation challenges.
The red wolf, Canis rufus, once native to much of the southeastern US, has been classified as critically endangered. Fewer than 20 are estimated to remain in the wild.
According to Colassal, its red wolf clones represent a 25% increase in founding genetic lineages and could contribute to future recovery efforts.
Colossal co-founder and geneticist Dr. George Church said the project represents a technical milestone in germline editing and the application of ancient DNA in conservation science. "The dire wolf is an early example of this, including the largest number of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate so far," Church stated.
Long-term objective
The company's long-term objective is to use de-extinction technologies to assist endangered species and eventually reintroduce de-extinct species into protected natural habitats
The dire wolf preserve includes a six-acre site for observation and veterinary care, and future sites are being considered in partnership with Indigenous communities in North America.
The research team also included leading scientists in the field of ancient DNA, including Dr. Beth Shapiro, who oversaw the sequencing and analysis of the dire wolf genome. The company said it extracted DNA from a tooth found in Ohio and an inner ear bone from Idaho. Genome sequencing revealed that the dire wolf shares 99.5% of its DNA with the gray wolf, its closest living relative.
The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus), which roamed much of North America during the Pleistocene epoch, is estimated to have gone extinct around 13,000 years ago. Fossil records indicate that the species was significantly larger than modern wolves and primarily hunted large prey such as horses and bison.
Colossal was founded by entrepreneur Ben Lamm and Dr. George Church and is known for applying CRISPR gene-editing technology to the field of de-extinction. The company previously announced plans to revive other extinct species, including the woolly mammoth.
In its statement, Colossal said its work also contributes to the development of non-invasive cloning technologies and new methods of establishing cell lines from endangered animals using routine veterinary procedures. These advances, the company claims, can aid broader global conservation efforts.
The company is working with conservation organizations and Indigenous groups, including the MHA Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the Karankawa Tribe of Texas, to guide future habitat development and species stewardship.
Additional feasibility studies, health assessments, and ecological impact evaluations are expected before any potential rewilding of dire wolves is considered.