On Monday, Colossal Biosciences unveiled what it called its most ambitious scientific achievement yet: the revival of the dire wolf, a species extinct for more than 12,000 years and widely known due to its depiction in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
The dire wolves now roam within a closely guarded 2,000-acre preserve situated somewhere in the northern United States. To protect the precise location from outsiders, Colossal invited reporters, including from TechCrunch, to witness their creations at a separate, undisclosed area. There, two six-month-old males—named Remus and Romulus—stood in clear view, already roughly 80 pounds each and resembling large wild dogs with distinctly bigger skulls and elongated muzzles. Alongside them lives Khaleesi, a two-month-old female dire wolf pup.
According to Colossal researchers, these animals differ substantially from ordinary wolves. They result from an 18-month-long, groundbreaking process involving ancient DNA recovered from fossilized remains—a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull. Based on genetic comparisons, the team found dire wolves shared 99.5% genetic identity with modern gray wolves. Thus, they selectively edited only 20 critical genes, associated primarily with skull shape and overall physical appearance, using CRISPR gene-editing technology. The modified gray wolf embryos were then implanted into a large domestic dog surrogate, who gave birth successfully to dire wolf offspring—the first creatures claimed by Colossal to represent the revival of an extinct species.
When Colossal Biosciences secured its recent funding at a valuation of $10.2 billion earlier this year, co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm argued the company’s real value far exceeded its market capitalization, given the depth of its scientific progress. Initially, skepticism was widespread, driven especially by claims from the startup that its woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger resurrection projects wouldn’t reach completion until at least 2028. Yet recent smaller breakthroughs, like engineering mice with mammoth-like fur, began to shift perspectives.
With the debut of the dire wolves, Colossal undoubtedly elevated its achievements—however, many prominent scientists remain skeptical of the claim of genuine de-extinction. David Gold, a professor specializing in paleobiology at UC Davis, described Colossal’s dire wolf as “an impressive feat of genome editing,” yet stopped short of accepting it as an authentic revival of a once-extinct species. Gold argued that while genetically enhanced, the animals still exhibited features of hybrid gray wolves, adding further skepticism as there remain critical differences in their upbringing and behavior compared to their original wild counterparts.
Alexander Young, a UCLA professor specializing in statistical genetics, echoed this contention, insisting that Colossal’s animals are essentially genetically modified gray wolves rather than true dire wolves. George Church, Colossal’s co-founder and a renowned geneticist associated with both Harvard and MIT, responded by clarifying that a percentage of genes remained intentionally unaltered due to ethical considerations—chiefly avoiding potential deafness or blindness that certain dire wolf genes would produce.
Yet dire wolves were not initially planned. Lamm admitted that their resurrection was “entirely accidental,” driven largely by a combination of newfound financial backing, partnerships with indigenous communities valuing wolves as culturally sacred creatures, and discussions initiated by North Carolina authorities on preserving the critically endangered red wolf. The extensive genetic research led Colossal to apply the same groundbreaking genetic technologies to cloning red wolves—four of which now exist with plans for eventual reintroduction to the wild.
The dire wolf project beautifully aligned the interests of science, conservation, cultural significance, and commercial appeal, especially after Colossal brought famed Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin onboard as an adviser. According to Lamm, Colossal’s hope is not only enriching biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability but capturing attention and public imagination—which could represent tremendous commercial potential for the company.
From an investor perspective, Colossal Biosciences may soon benefit from diverse and innovative revenue streams. In addition to planned spinouts of new gene-editing technologies, the company anticipates applications for its artificial womb system in human fertility treatments. Colossal might also market biodiversity credits—biological equivalents to carbon credits—and potentially charge governments or environmental entities for using its genetic technology in conservation efforts.
With the first generation of revived dire wolves thriving under careful supervision, Colossal foresees creating five more animals to form a pack. Longer-term plans include discussions with indigenous groups regarding their potential reintroduction onto carefully managed tribal lands.
As scientific debate surrounding true “de-extinction” versus genetically modified approximations continues, Colossal’s pioneering achievements undeniably open uncharted territories across science, ethics, conservation, and commerce, making it one of the most closely watched startups in biotechnology today. Whether or not investors embrace its growing valuation exceeding $10 billion, the startup’s daring projects have thoroughly captured both scientific and public imaginations—forging entirely new definitions of what modern biotechnology might achieve.
