Dire Wolf De-extinction

For the first time in human history, an extinct, prehistoric animal, the large and beautiful dire wolf, has been brought back to life!

The dire wolf went extinct nearly 10,000 years ago.

Two male Dire Wolf cubs, Romulus and Remus, were born in October or 2024. Khaleesi, a female cub, followed in January of 2025. These little pups are undeniable proof of the viability of new de-extinction technology developed by biotech company, Colossal BioSciences.

The idea has caused both excitement and alarm. It raises exciting possibilities for the protection and restoration of our damaged ecosystems, but the thought also conjures up terrifying Jurassic Park style scenes of rampaging dinosaurs causing havoc and destruction.

We are at an amazing crossroads in human history. We have this incredible new technique, but where do we go from here? I’m reminded by a quote from Dr. Ian Malcolm from the movie Jurassic Park that goes:

“Scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should”

Now might be our time to ask that very same question.

So, did they really bring back the dire wolf? How exactly does de-extinction technology work? What’s next on the de-extinction list, and is bringing back extinct species a good or a bad idea? We’ve got the full science scoop right here.

Did They Really Bring The Dire Wolf Back to Life?

The dire wolf has been brought back to life… sort of. The wolves would more accurately be described as gray wolf pups with some dire wolf lineage. Of course, that’s a pretty amazing thing all by itself, considering there hasn’t been a living, breathing Dire Wolf to pass on anything for over 10,000 years.

Recently, Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, told CNN, “We aren’t trying to bring something back that’s 100% genetically identical to another species. Our goal with de-extinction is always create functional copies of these extinct species.” 

But Why?

The team at Colossal BioSciences recognizes the positive contributions this long-lost creature could make to our damaged and failing ecosystems today.

How Exactly Was The Dire Wolf Brought Back?

The dire wolf was brought back using gene editing. Scientists extracted DNA from two ancient fossils and identified the gray wolf as its closest living relative. They edited gray wolf embryos by inserting dire wolf DNA, then implanted them into wolves with the purest genomes. The result: living pups with dire wolf traits.

The problem with species that have vanished is that there are no longer any around to produce the fundamentals of procreation: Sperm and ova. Without these, there can be no baby, right?

Well, scientists recognize another option. Sometimes, even species that haven’t been around for millennia leave something important behind: bone fragments, preserved tissue, or even microscopic strands of DNA. Even a tiny piece of DNA is sufficient to get the process started because DNA holds all the information needed to build a living organism from scratch.

Scientists can use strings of DNA to bring new life into the world—what some would call, bringing back the dire wolf, but first, it has to be integrated with the extinct animal’s closest living relative.

In the case of the Dire Wolf, scientists recognized the Gray Wolf as the best choice. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the process.

How The Extinct Dire Wolf Was Brought Back: Step-by-Step

A simplified breakdown of de-extinction technology

Step	Summary
1. DNA Discovery	DNA extracted from two fossils: a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone.
2. Closest Relative	Gray wolf identified as the best match to carry dire wolf DNA.
3. Genome Screening	Only four wolves found with low enough dog DNA to qualify as surrogates.
4. Gene Editing	Dire wolf DNA traits inserted into gray wolf embryos through gene editing.
5. Implantation	Edited embryos implanted into gray wolves to give birth to hybrid pups.
Result	Living pups with dire wolf traits—reviving the species in hybrid form.

1. Finding Dire Wolf DNA

Finding DNA from creatures who are long gone is never easy. However, the Dire Wolf posed an unusual puzzle. 

A great many Dire Wolf fossils have been found across North and South America, including over 4000 pulled from California’s La Brea Tar pits. Yet, the scientific community has found it exceedingly difficult to find any specimens that contain enough intact DNA to be viable. In fact, an international team of scientists recovered only 0.1% of the Dire Wolf genome after studying 46 fossil specimens. 

Colossal came into possession of the two most likely candidates. Both found in Ohio, the specimens included a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone. From these two tiny fragments, Colossal was able to extract enough DNA to do the impossible. Using their own unique processes, the Colossal team was able to extract significantly more DNA than ever before.

2. Finding the Surrogate Mother

Although they are classified as an endangered species, there are an estimated 250,000 Grey Wolves living today. So, there should be nothing to finding a suitable female to host the dire wolf cubs, should there?

The challenge that the Colossal team ran into was finding a Gray Wolf individual who had the purest DNA possible. However, nearly all wolves across the world have some domestic dog DNA in their genome. The more domestic dog DNA in a wolf, the less likely the wolf is to be a successful candidate for surrogacy.

So, the Colossal team got to work analyzing genome sequences of over two dozen wolves across the US. They compared that data to the DNA of wolves and wild and domestic dogs from around the world. This process, known as gene sequencing, allows scientists to understand where the two species are similar, where they differ, and what traits will need to be isolated to create a viable hybrid animal.

Through this process, they were able to track down only four animals with a low enough percentage of domestic dog DNA to be candidates.

3. Putting it All Together to Bring Back Dire Wolves

Now they had the most complete Dire Wolf DNA that could be found. They also had a small group of living wolves who had the best possible DNA match for their prehistoric cousins. The next challenge was putting that all together to create the pups. 

This process is called gene editing. It involves taking the desired traits from the Dire Wolf DNA and inserting them into the Gray Wolf DNA. This newly combined string of DNA is inserted into the nucleus of a Gray Wolf ova or egg. This egg is united with Gray Wolf sperm, then artificially implanted into a living wolf’s womb. 

The true result is a living Gray Wolf pup with Dire Wolf traits.

The question everyone is asking, though, is why this whole thing was necessary in the first place.

The Ethics Question: They Can, but Should They?

Should We Be Bringing Back Extinct Species?

A few years ago, the questions was whether we CAN use DNA of long-extinct species and revive them in living ones. Well, Colossal Biosciences did it, they successfully bred a gray wolf that was part dire wolf.

The new cubs have the white fluffy fur of their ancient ancestors and are expected to achieve their great size; However, far from a hero’s welcome, the little cubs have instead sparked a barrage of questions and debate. The new question is whether we should be “bringing back” extinct species. Here’s a few reasons for and against it.

Why De-Extinction is a Good Idea

The world’s ecosystems are in trouble, but there’s great hope. From building the World’s First Human Sentinel Underwater Habitat, to creating genius plastic alternatives, inspiring people from across the globe are finding ways to create a resilient future humanity.

Colossal BioSciences are doing the same in their own way. They believes that de-extinction technology can:

• Help create more biodiversity
• Help current conservation management systems
• Improve technology in human healthcare
• Make breakthroughs in synthetic biology

Colossal Biosciences says it’s bringing back the wooly mammoth next.

The World has felt the absence of the Woolly Mammoth in surprising ways. One of these ways would be that the perpetually frozen earth of the Canadian and Siberian tundra has begun to melt. Without mammoths to scrape away snow in search of buried grasses, the permafrost has become too insulated.

As the permafrost recedes, it can release massive quantities of carbon dioxide and methane into the air, all of which are elements that can accelerate global warming.

Bringing Back The Wooly Mammoth is Next

The plan to bring back the wooly mammoth is to combine the DNA of mammoth fossils with an Asian Elephant, creating a hybrid with key traits of a Mammoth. The resulting hybrid would have the thick, woolly coat and extra layers of fat that would allow it to survive the frozen temperatures of the north.

Some scientists believe this new mammoth hybrid would keep the grasslands healthier through its grazing activities. Old grass would be eaten away, leaving fresh grass to keep erosion in check with its roots. It would also scrape away the snow, allowing the cold winter air to reach through and preserve the critical permafrost layer.

If there’s one other thing that might make de-extinction a good idea, it’s this:

When a population of animals shrinks away, the biodiversity pool shrinks with them. Inbreeding has caused many of today’s animals to be born without the genes that help them fight disease. Finding these genes in ancient animals and editing them into living ones could mean the difference between extinction and survival.

However, there are some critics of de-extinction technology too.

The Difficulties in Bringing Back The Woolly Mammoth

Creating a hybrid animal from ancient DNA is one thing, but raising them and then finding a place for them in the wild is something else altogether. This is one of the primary arguments against going forward with this project.

Joseph R. Bennett, an ecologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, has been performing a study on de-extinction technology with his team. The scientists are curious about the implications of bringing back extinct species like the dire wolf and wooly mammoth. Bennett reports three major problems.

DNA Degradation and Costs

One or two hybrid mammoths would only live so long. As well, smaller populations will be forced to procreate either amongst themselves or other species such as the Asian elephant. This can result in DNA degradation in the first generation. It would be extremely costly not just to develop the hybrids, but to provide staff to manage and monitor them.

Finding a Livable Space Might Be Difficult

The hybrid woolly mammoths would need lots of roaming space to accomplish ecosystem regeneration. However, the Arctic land, which once hosted the vanished Mammoth Steppe, is a changed place.

Now peppered with roads and towns, it could be much more difficult for a population of large animals to find space. As well, the local flora and fauna have also seen tremendous changes over the years. It’s questionable to sustain a herd of woolly mammoths if they were brought back.

Bringing Back Extinct Species Can Harm Endangered Ones

The Carleton Study compared several recently extinct species with similar living species with conservation plans. Using this data, they were able to estimate the potential costs of resurrecting lost species, and the results were alarming.

The money to monitor and manage any resurrected species might need to come out of funding for protecting existing endangered species. The study found that many de-extincted animals would either do no good to the ecosystem. Others could cause harm to as many as 14 other species.

The Future of De-Extinction Technology

Colossal BioSciences certainly shows every sign of forging full speed ahead. There are plans to create hybrids using woolly mammoth, dodo bird, and thylacine DNA in the next few years.

After bringing back dire wolves, Colossal biosciences is moving forward with their plans to bring back the wooly mammoth. In 2024, they even created a mouse with the shaggy fur of a Woolly Mammoth.

Around the same time, they also edited the genes of Australian marsupials to resist the poison of the invasive Cane Toad.

While the world waits to see what comes next, the sky is filled with a distant howl. It’s the cry of a little dire wolf cub whose very existence proves that, sometimes, the impossible isn’t so impossible after all.