“..and today we’re talking about a pup from the past but more on that later.”
When a species is long forgotten underneath ancient permafrost, things start to look dire. But new scientific efforts are tapping into long forgotten DNA to build a bridge to the past. The question is, are we able to see the dead return to life, or is something completely new walking the earth in Life, Death, and Taxonomy…
Description of the Dire Wolf
- Imagine a gray wolf, but someone hit the “buff” button—stockier, meaner, and built like it’s been hitting the gym instead of chasing rabbits.
- Fur’s a mottled mess of gray, brown, and black, perfect for blending into the Pleistocene era.
- Thick, coarse coat that says, “I don’t need your cuddles, but I’ll take your snacks.”
- Big ol’ head with a snout that’s all business, paired with teeth that could double as a can opener.
- Legs are stout and stocky
Measure Up
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com.
The Direwolves Being Good Boys for 4 Minutes Straight – YouTube
Height of the Dire Wolf
The dire wolf stood approximately 38 inches (0.97 meters) at the shoulder. How many dire wolves, stacked shoulder to shoulder, fit into the height or length of these prehistoric objects?
Question: How many dire wolves fit into each object’s height or length?
A) 1 go into the height of a Megaloceros giganteus
B) 2 go into the length of a Smilodon fatalis
C) 3 go into the height of a Glyptodon
a) The height of a Megaloceros giganteus (Irish Elk)
The Irish Elk, a massive deer species from the Pleistocene, stood about 6.9 feet (2.1 meters) at the shoulder.
b) The length of a Smilodon fatalis (Saber-Toothed Cat)
Smilodon fatalis, a common predator in Pleistocene North America, measured about 5.8 feet (1.75 meters) from nose to tail. Using this as a comparable “height” for the game:
c) The height of a Glyptodon
The Glyptodon, an armored mammal related to armadillos, lived in the Pleistocene and reached a height of about 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) including its domed shell.
Weight of the Dire Wolf
The dire wolf weighed approximately 150 pounds (68 kg). How many dire wolves fit into the weight of these prehistoric objects?
Question: How many dire wolves fit into each object’s weight?
A) 21 go into the weight of a Coelodonta antiquitatis
B) 59 go into the weight of a Megatherium americanum
C) 9 go into the weight of a juvenile Mammuthus primigenius
a) The weight of a Coelodonta antiquitatis (Woolly Rhinoceros)
The Woolly Rhinoceros, a Pleistocene megafauna species, weighed about 4,400 pounds (2,000 kg) on average.
b) The weight of a Megatherium americanum (Giant Ground Sloth)
The Giant Ground Sloth, another Pleistocene giant, weighed around 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg).
c) The weight of a juvenile Mammuthus primigenius (Woolly Mammoth)
A juvenile Woolly Mammoth, depending on age, could weigh around 1,100 pounds (500 kg), much less than an adult’s 13,000+ pounds.
Fast Facts about the Dire Wolf
- Range: Originally roamed North America from coast to coast.
- Habitat: Used to run in the grassy plains and forests of the Ice Age
- Diet: Carnivorous to the core—think deer, bison, and anything slower than it was.
- Hunting Behavior: Pack hunters with a vibe of “we’re tougher than your average wolves,” taking down megafauna for breakfast.
- Mating Behavior: Likely monogamous.
- Lifespan: Around 10-15 years in the wild back then.
- Social Behavior: Ran in tight-knit packs, because even in prehistory, teamwork makes the dream work when you’re top dog.
- Sounds: Deep howls that’d make your spine tingle, plus growls that say, “Back off my mammoth shank.”
- Predators: Maybe a saber-tooth cat, a rival pack, or just animal rights protesters.
- Fun Fact: Apparently, their jaws were so strong they could crush bone like it’s a potato chip.
Major Fact: UnExtinction?
Normally we only do extant animals, and technically, sort of, we are sticking to that rule.
A Dallas-based biotechnology company, Colossal Biosciences, claims to have “de-extincted” the dire wolf, a species that vanished over 10,000 years ago. The company announced the birth of three pups—two males, Romulus and Remus, born October 1, 2024, and a female, Khaleesi, born January 30, 2025. The pups live on a secret 2,000-acre preserve in the U.S., exhibit wild, non-domesticated behavior, unlike typical dogs.
How Did They Do It?
They aren’t cloned directly from fossils. Colossal Biosciences employed a sophisticated process combining ancient DNA analysis, gene editing, and cloning to “de-extinct” the dire wolf. Here’s how…
- Ancient DNA Extraction:
The team started by obtaining ancient DNA from dire wolf remains—a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old ear bone. These samples provided fragments of the dire wolf genome, which, while incomplete due to degradation over millennia, offered a genetic blueprint to work from. - Comparison with a Living Relative:
Since dire wolves are extinct, Colossal used the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the dire wolf’s closest living relative, as a starting point. The two species share a common ancestry but diverged genetically millions of years ago. By sequencing the gray wolf’s genome and comparing it to the ancient dire wolf DNA, scientists identified key differences. - Gene Editing:
Using CRISPR, a precise gene-editing tool, Colossal modified the gray wolf genome to incorporate dire wolf traits. They made 20 specific edits across 14 genes, targeting characteristics like:- A white coat (unlike the gray wolf’s typical coloring).
- Larger body size and stronger jaws, hallmarks of the dire wolf’s physique adapted for hunting megafauna. These edits didn’t recreate the dire wolf genome entirely but aimed to mimic its physical and functional traits.
- A white coat (unlike the gray wolf’s typical coloring).
- Cloning Process:
Instead of traditional cloning methods that require tissue biopsies, Colossal developed a less invasive technique using blood samples from gray wolves. Here’s how it worked:- They extracted DNA from gray wolf blood, edited it with the dire wolf traits, and created a modified genome.
- This edited DNA was inserted into enucleated egg cells (eggs with their original nuclei removed) from gray wolves.
- The resulting embryos were implanted into surrogate gray wolf mothers.
- They extracted DNA from gray wolf blood, edited it with the dire wolf traits, and created a modified genome.
- Birth and Growth:
The process yielded three pups: Romulus and Remus (born October 1, 2024) and Khaleesi (born January 30, 2025). These pups were carried to term by gray wolf surrogates and born with the engineered traits. Unlike domesticated dogs, they display wild behavior, suggesting the edits successfully influenced their instincts. - Testing and Observation:
The pups now live on a secret 2,000-acre preserve in the U.S., where scientists monitor their development, behavior, and health to assess how closely they resemble ancient dire wolves in ecology and function, not just appearance.
What Do Critics Say?
Since, this method blends cloning with gene editing, some say it’s different from pure de-extinction, which would require a complete ancient genome.
Colossal’s approach prioritizes ecological restoration—reviving the dire wolf’s role in nature—over exact genetic replication, a point of contention among experts who see these as hybrid wolves rather than true dire wolves. The same blood-based cloning technique was also applied to produce four endangered red wolves, hinting at broader conservation applications.
Ecological Relevance:
Skeptics question the purpose of bringing back dire wolf traits in today’s ecosystems. Dire wolves evolved to hunt megafauna like mammoths and giant sloths, which no longer exist. Critics ask how these engineered wolves fit into modern environments without their historical prey or ecological niche, suggesting the project prioritizes spectacle (e.g., a white coat and big jaws) over functional restoration. Though, spectacle might bring more support to their research into more important things like preventing the extinction of endangered animals, like the red wolf.
Scientific Overreach:
Some scientists view this as more of a technological flex than a rigorous scientific achievement. The use of CRISPR to tweak a living species’ genome, rather than fully reconstructing an extinct one, is seen as a shortcut that blurs the line between genetic engineering and true de-extinction. Critics argue it’s less about reviving a lost species and more about creating something novel that looks like a dire wolf, driven by hype and investor appeal (e.g., George R.R. Martin’s involvement).
Ethical Concerns:
Though less detailed in the article, implied ethical critiques include the welfare of the engineered pups and surrogates, as well as the broader implications of playing “God” with nature. Creating animals with no natural place in the modern world raises questions about their purpose—whether they’re scientific tools, zoo-like curiosities, or something else—and whether this sets a precedent for unchecked genetic manipulation.
Colossal counters that their goal isn’t an exact genetic match but to restore ecological roles, using the dire wolf as a proof-of-concept for future projects (like the woolly mammoth). They also highlight potential conservation benefits, like refining cloning techniques for endangered species. Still, critics remain unconvinced, framing the effort as a flashy, debatable milestone rather than a clear scientific or ecological triumph.
Ending: So prowl the land as an apex predator, protect the members of your pack, and be resurrected as an adorable CRISPR mutant like the direwolf here in LDT.