Close Menu
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
  • Home
  • Guns
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • News
  • Videos
  • Community

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tactical, firearms and many more news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's Hot

OPEX 25 – Sparrows Lockpicks

Jun 13, 2025 3:32 pm

EXPED LuxeMat Sleeping Pad Review

Jun 13, 2025 3:28 pm

Secret Service ‘aware’ of Trump death threats graffiti during Los Angeles riots

Jun 13, 2025 3:26 pm
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Friday, June 13, 2025 3:56 pm EDT
Trending
  • OPEX 25 – Sparrows Lockpicks
  • EXPED LuxeMat Sleeping Pad Review
  • Secret Service ‘aware’ of Trump death threats graffiti during Los Angeles riots
  • GREGG JARRETT: It’s a federal vs state power clash as Trump utilizes National Guard in LA
  • Estate of Girl, 16, Who Was Allegedly Tortured for a Week and Dismembered After Meeting Man on Grindr Sues App
  • Blade Show 2025: The Haul
  • 2025 Ford F-150 Lobo Is Not a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
  • Austin police arrest 8 after anti-ICE protests turn violent, injuring officers
  • Privacy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest VKontakte
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
  • Home
  • Guns
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • News
  • Videos
  • Community
Newsletter
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
Home » Extinct No More? Dire Wolf Returns With a Genetic Twist
Gear

Extinct No More? Dire Wolf Returns With a Genetic Twist

newsBy newsApr 8, 2025 1:26 pm0 ViewsNo Comments
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp
Extinct No More? Dire Wolf Returns With a Genetic Twist
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

In a groundbreaking leap reminiscent of Jurassic Park, scientists have successfully revived the dire wolf, an apex predator that vanished nearly 13,000 years ago.

The revival project, spearheaded by startup company Colossal Bioscience, utilized advanced DNA editing techniques. By sequencing ancient DNA samples recovered from fossils preserved in tar pits, researchers reconstructed a complete genome of the dire wolf, closely related yet distinctly separate from modern grey wolves.

Two male pups, Remus and Romulus, were born in October 2024, followed by a female named Khaleesi in January 2025. Fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones will likely recognize both the creature and the inspiration behind their names.

But are these really dire wolves or just genetically modified grey wolves? That “grey” area is up for interpretation.

Dire Wolf Brought Back: Colossal Biosciences

While Stanford led the genetic effort, biotech startup Colossal Biosciences played a pivotal role in bringing the project to life. Known for its moonshot mission to resurrect the woolly mammoth, Colossal provided logistical support, funding, and proprietary gene-editing tools that accelerated the dire wolf program.

Colossal’s involvement also sparked public curiosity, thanks in part to its high-profile partnerships and unapologetically bold marketing. I mean, just take a look at the company’s website. It’s hard to decide whether it’s legit or a carefully crafted sci-fi movie promo.

CRISPR to the Rescue

Using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology, the team introduced precise genetic edits into embryos of modern wolf relatives, effectively recreating dire wolf traits. After several attempts, the first litter of dire wolves was successfully born in October 2024 in a controlled facility in Montana.

These animals are designed to thrive in rugged, challenging environments. The project’s next step involves assessing their viability in protected wilderness areas.

Ecological Impact, Debate, and Controversy

Dire wolves, once dominant across North America, were notably larger and sturdier than today’s wolves, capable of taking down massive prey such as bison and giant sloths. Their reintroduction could radically reshape modern ecosystems, presenting both exciting opportunities and ecological challenges.

The project has sparked vigorous debate within the conservation community. Supporters view it as a monumental achievement in species restoration, while skeptics caution about potential risks to existing wildlife.

Are They Actually Dire Wolves?

Remus and Romulus Remus and Romulus

Controversy has arisen regarding the authenticity of these revived animals. Critics argue that despite genetic editing, these creatures may simply be genetically modified modern wolves rather than genuine dire wolves.

Scientists at Colossal emphasize the precision of their genetic reconstruction and the clear phenotypic distinctions between these animals and contemporary wolves.

For my part — cripes, I dunno.

Romulus Dire Wolf PupRomulus Dire Wolf Pup

As someone who spent a lot of time in college bent over a microscope, I’m torn. I genuinely geek out over the advances in genome sequencing. I also scream at the movie screen when people say, “It’s perfectly safe.”

I’m caught somewhere between awe and existential dread. On one hand, this is science doing precisely what science dreams of: Resurrecting legends. On the other hand, I’ve seen every film that starts this way, and spoiler alert, it rarely ends with a happy woodland ecosystem or a fun amusement park ride in a Jeep.

We already have a hard enough time managing and conserving the wildlife that exists naturally on this planet as it is. Do we really need to meddle with introducing super wolves? What’s the gain? We can’t even decide what to do with the wolves we already have.

But, here’s hoping our real-life reboot has fewer velociraptor vibes and more mutual coexistence. In any case, maybe keep an extra eye on your livestock moving forward and double-check to make sure your electric fences are working.



Read the full article here

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

OPEX 25 – Sparrows Lockpicks

EXPED LuxeMat Sleeping Pad Review

2025 Ford F-150 Lobo Is Not a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

OPEX 25 – Salomon Forces Genesis GTX Mid

Terrain 365 Narwhal-AT Review: Rust-Proof, Steel-Free

OPEX 25 – Sneak Peek from Tomahawk Performance

OPEX 25 – TYR Tactical’s Duty Belt Selected by RCMP

FirstSpear Friday Focus: FirstSpear Logo T-Shirt in New Colorways

Revolutionizing Operational Testing: The Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) Expeditionary Operational Assessment at Fort Johnson

Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Editors Picks

EXPED LuxeMat Sleeping Pad Review

Jun 13, 2025 3:28 pm

Secret Service ‘aware’ of Trump death threats graffiti during Los Angeles riots

Jun 13, 2025 3:26 pm

GREGG JARRETT: It’s a federal vs state power clash as Trump utilizes National Guard in LA

Jun 13, 2025 3:16 pm

Estate of Girl, 16, Who Was Allegedly Tortured for a Week and Dismembered After Meeting Man on Grindr Sues App

Jun 13, 2025 3:14 pm

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tactical, firearms and many more news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News

Blade Show 2025: The Haul

By news

2025 Ford F-150 Lobo Is Not a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

By news

Austin police arrest 8 after anti-ICE protests turn violent, injuring officers

By Jack Bogart
Tactical Americans
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press Release
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © 2025 Tactical Americans. Created by Sawah Solutions.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.