It’s game of clones!
The dire wolf — a species that disappeared 13,000 years ago and was made famous by the beloved HBO series “Game of Thrones” — is making a comeback, thanks to the first-ever so-called “de-extinction.”
Three dire wolf pups — aptly named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — were successfully born using DNA from ancient dire wolf fossils and genes from their closest living relative, the gray wolf.
The extraordinary results were revealed Monday by Colossal Biosciences, the same Texas-based genetic engineering company that created the adorable colossal woolly mouse.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm. “It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
A genetic engineering company announced the birth of three dire wolf puppies in the world’s first successful “de-extinction.” Colossal Biosciences / Business Wire
To create the painfully cute pups, Colossal cloned high-quality cell lines using somatic cell nuclear transfer into donor egg cells, and transferred them to a surrogate dog mom, who gave birth in January, according to the statement.
The ancient DNA was taken from a tooth fossil found in Ohio that is around 13,000 years old and an inner ear bone from Idaho, about 72,000 years old.
The two six-month-old male wolves, Romulus and Remus, and female pup Khaleesi now reside in 2,000- plus acre “secure expansive ecological preserve” with 10 full-time staff to give them round-the-clock care, Colossal said.
