Scientists at a Dallas-based biotech firm recently announced they have brought back the to life the dire wolf, a species popularized by the fantasy TV show “Game of Thrones.”
The company recently announced the creation of three dire wolves, a canine species that hasn’t roamed the Earth in more than 12,000 years, in the privately held company’s continued efforts to resurrect extinct animals.
Here’s what to know about the dire wolves the company says have been born and how they differ from the wolves roaming the Earth now.
Colossal Biosciences have birthed three wolves using the ancient DNA of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago
What is a dire wolf?
It’s likely you’ve heard of a dire wolf if you’re a fan of the HBO hit show “Game of Thrones,” or of George R.R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels. The “dire wolf was the sigil, or mascot, of the House Stark. It was called a “tough old beast” by head of house, Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark.
Books and TV shows aside, the canines roamed the Earth about 12,000 years ago, weighed around 150 pounds and were seen throughout large swaths of the Americas, according to National Geographic. They preyed on horses of the Ice Age as well as sloths.
The carnivore was known for its imposing size, specialized “bone-cracking back teeth” and propensity for preying on large herbivores, according to the publication.
How big were dire wolves?
Dire wolves were much larger than the non-extinct gray wolf; they weighed anywhere from 130 to 150 pounds, stood about three feet at the shoulder and were about six feet long.
Who are Romulus and Remus dire wolves? Is there a Khalessi dire wolf?
Colossal said its latest development is the births of 80-pound brothers Remus and Romulus, and a younger female, Khalessi, named for the popular “Game of Thrones” character. According to USA TODAY, the fully extinct canines were created using DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull.
The dire wolves live in a fenced-in nature preserve in a “secret” location in the U.S., according to a report by Bloomberg, and eat a mix of beef, deer and horse meat, along with specially formulated kibble. They estimate the brothers will weigh about 140 pounds when fully grown and are about 20 to 25% bigger than the gray would be at their age.
Colossal Biosciences have birthed three wolves using the ancient DNA of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago
Dire wolf vs gray wolf: What’s the difference?
While dire wolves and today’s gray wolves may look similar, they are actually quite different.
“The genetics say they are not related closely in any way,” Angela Perri, an archaeologist at Durham University, and co-author of a paper on dire wolf genetics, told National Geographic.
As was the case with the birth of Romulus and Remus, dire wolves are about 25% larger than modern-day gray wolves. Dire wolves also had heavier, more muscular bodies with much larger heads and more powerful jaws and sharper teeth, according to the National Park Service. Like the gray wolf, they stood around three feet at the shoulder but could stretch to six feet long or more.
Researchers believe the dire wolf lineage split from the one leading to gray wolves — which did not go extinct — about 5.5 million years ago and remained isolated despite overlapping territory for thousands of years, according to National Geographic.
When did dire wolves go extinct?
Dire wolves went extinct about 13,000 years ago. Scientists believe incoming dog-like species and wolves may have out-competed dire wolves, or spread diseases that hurt them, according to National Geographic. Climate change could have also played a role.
Who are Colossal Biosciences?
Colossal Biosciences Inc., which has a $10 billion valuation, touts its one-of-a-kind gene editing technology that aims at rebuilding the DNA of now-extinct animals. The company said their work is more than creating animals that resemble an extinct species; rather, they are working to “restore the past, preserve the present and safeguard the future.” The aim is to preserve species to be stronger and more resilient to thrive in today’s ecosystem, they said, while also developing applications in health and biodiversity.
The company gained name recognition in 2022 when it announced its goal to bring back from extinction the eight-ton wooly mammoth — though it has only created the half-ounce woolly mice as of now.
The company plans to de-extinct the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger, according to USA TODAY.
Want to see dire wolf puppies? Here you go
Colossal Biosciences have birthed three wolves using the ancient DNA of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago
TRND COMPANY HOPES TO BRING BACK DIRE WOLVES
Colossal Biosciences used ancient DNA to birth three dire wolves, an animal that went extinct 13,000 years ago.
Colossal Biosciences used ancient DNA to birth three dire wolves, an animal that went extinct 13,000 years ago.
Colossal Biosciences used ancient DNA to birth three dire wolves, which went extinct 13,000 years ago.
Colossal successfully de-extincted the Dire Wolf, made popular by HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Romulus and Remus, two adolescent male dire wolves, were born on Oct. 1, 2024.
How do you make a dire wolf? See Colossal video
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What is a dire wolf? Aren’t dire wolves extinct? See new pups born
