n a style reminiscent of Jurassic Park, the company Colossal Biosciences has managed to bring back to life the 'dire' wolf or direwolf, which served as inspiration for the creation of the wolf that is the symbol of House Stark in 'Game of Thrones' and had been extinct for over 12,500 years. According to the company, the direwolf has become the first "de-extinct" animal in history, as reported by Efe.
The company has successfully brought to life Rómulo and Remo, two six-month-old pups created through genetic modifications derived from DNA found in fossils dating back between 11,500 and 72,000 years, Colossal stated in a press release. Colossal has also created a female pup of this animal named Khaleesi, after the main character in 'Game of Thrones'.
The company, which described this process as the first successful "de-extinction," explained that they edited 20 genes of gray wolves with this DNA - obtained from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull - to give the pups some of the main characteristics of the "dire" wolves.
Subsequently, they created embryos from the modified cells of the gray wolf and implanted them in female canines that gave birth to these animals.
This company announced a month ago the creation, through genetic editing, of a mouse with the same fur as mammoths, whose last individuals disappeared from an island North of Siberia about 4,000 years ago.
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In the HBO series, the direwolf is a legendary creature of great size and strength, also the emblem of House Stark, to which Jon Snow belongs.
The creator of the novels that inspired the series, George R.R. Martin, a cultural advisor to Colossal, expressed that although many people see these wolves as mythological creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, they "have a rich history of contribution to the American ecosystem."
Beyond 'Game of Thrones', the "dire" wolves have been characters in role-playing games like 'Dungeons & Dragons' and in video games like 'World of Warcraft'.
In a post from X, the company attached a video of the small pups Rómulo and Remo howling.
Rómulo, Remo, and Khaleesi are being cared for in an ecological reserve certified by the American Humane Society, which includes interaction areas and is monitored by live cameras, security personnel, and drones to ensure the well-being of the pups.
Direwolves lived in the American continent during the Pleistocene around 3.5 to 2.5 million years ago and became extinct at the end of the last glaciation, about 13,000 years ago.
According to Colossal, these animals were up to 25% larger than gray wolves, had a light and thick fur - recreated in these animals - and stronger jaws.