In a groundbreaking move, scientists have revived the extinct dire wolf, last seen over 12,000 years ago.
Reuters reported that U.S.-based Colossal Biosciences bred three pups—Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi—using DNA from ancient remains and gene-editing technology. By sequencing DNA from a 72,000-year-old skull and a 13,000-year-old tooth, researchers identified key traits and edited grey wolf cells to recreate dire wolves.
The result: larger, muscular animals with white coats. The embryos were implanted into domestic dog surrogates. These wolves, expected to reach 140 pounds, are 20-25% larger than grey wolves. Genetic analysis shows dire wolves share 99.5% of their DNA with gray wolves.
