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Scientists Revive the Dire Wolf, or Something Close
NYT ^ | 4/7/2025 | Carl Zimmer

Posted on 04/07/2025 10:34:20 AM PDT by Pollard

For more than a decade, scientists have chased the idea of reviving extinct species, a process sometimes called de-extinction. Now, a company called Colossal Biosciences appears to have done it, or something close, with the dire wolf, a giant, extinct species made famous by the television series “Game of Thrones.”

In 2021, a separate team of scientists managed to retrieve DNA from the fossils of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago. With the discovery of additional DNA, the Colossal researchers have now edited 20 genes of gray wolves to imbue the animals with key features of dire wolves. They then created embryos from the edited gray-wolf cells, implanted them in surrogate dog mothers and waited for them to give birth.

The result is three healthy wolves — two males that are 6 months old and one female that is 2 months old, named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — that have some traits of dire wolves.

They are big, for one thing, and have dense, pale coats not found in gray wolves. Colossal, which was valued at $10 billion in January, is keeping the wolves on a private 2,000-acre facility at an undisclosed location in the northern United States.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: carlzimmer; colossalbiosciences; cryptobiology; deextinction; direwolf; gameofthrones; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble
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Company -- https://colossal.com/direwolf/
Hear then howl -- https://x.com/colossal/status/1909247817672957959
Colossal's Dire Wolf playlist -- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoeSlt5hQrlA1NWE0oqHlGFczab-ctVAF
1 posted on 04/07/2025 10:34:20 AM PDT by Pollard
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To: Pollard

What could possibly go wrong?


2 posted on 04/07/2025 10:35:27 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Pollard
This probably wont end well...


3 posted on 04/07/2025 10:37:38 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Pollard

4 posted on 04/07/2025 10:38:29 AM PDT by BBQToadRibs2
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

NEWMAN!!


5 posted on 04/07/2025 10:39:15 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: Pollard; SunkenCiv

Dire Wolf Ping!..........................


6 posted on 04/07/2025 10:40:40 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG worthy?


7 posted on 04/07/2025 10:42:05 AM PDT by gnarledmaw (If you dont like my sense of humor, please let me know so I can laugh at you too.)
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To: Pollard

First Dire Wolves, then Sabertooth Cats, then...


8 posted on 04/07/2025 10:42:33 AM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind

Helen Thomas........................


9 posted on 04/07/2025 10:44:08 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I agree with your sentiment, what could possibly go wrong, something seems fundamentally wrong about bringing back to life extinct species, the went extinct for a reason.


10 posted on 04/07/2025 10:44:11 AM PDT by srmanuel
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To: Magnum44

“Life finds a way.”


11 posted on 04/07/2025 10:44:21 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Openurmind
First Dire Wolves, then Sabertooth Cats, then...

...Adolf Hitler!

12 posted on 04/07/2025 10:45:51 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Pollard

Three minute video showing their progress to 6 months old and introducing a female pup. Crazy growth speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPX4tm-J2bU&list=PLoeSlt5hQrlA1NWE0oqHlGFczab-ctVAF&index=3

The fence is not going to be tall/strong enough for the planned de-extinction of the Woolly Mammoth.


13 posted on 04/07/2025 10:47:21 AM PDT by Pollard (Zone 6b)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum; dfwgator

Dodgson! We’ve got Dodgson here!

https://youtu.be/e6FXdloCUOM?si=2BfROezBuaOR1jlY


14 posted on 04/07/2025 10:47:26 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Hey! We don’t need any more Social Democrats in this world...even Undead ones!


15 posted on 04/07/2025 10:48:23 AM PDT by rlmorel ("A people that elect corrupt politicians are not victims...but accomplices." George Orwell)
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To: Red Badger

I know it is indeed appropriate, but I find it kind of humorous that in modern times we are having Dire Wolf Pings... lol :)


16 posted on 04/07/2025 10:48:54 AM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Pollard

I don’t think we should be doing this stuff...


17 posted on 04/07/2025 10:49:23 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Pollard

Since it is just a big wolf, I would breeding wolves for their size would result them returning.


18 posted on 04/07/2025 10:49:58 AM PDT by Jonty30 (I can promise I can land any plane that is in the air, because gravity only moves in one direction.)
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To: Red Badger

Lol!


19 posted on 04/07/2025 10:50:03 AM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Openurmind
The American Lion went extinct around the same time. They were the size of a small horse and could weigh up to 1,000 lbs.

Here kitty kitty


20 posted on 04/07/2025 10:50:57 AM PDT by Pollard (Zone 6b)
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