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Rolling Stone takes readers inside Colossal Biosciences’ groundbreaking dire wolf revival project, introducing Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—the first dire wolves to exist on Earth in 12,000 years. The article describes these impressive white-coated predators, who at just five months old already weigh over 80 pounds, displaying distinctive traits that separate them from domestic dogs or modern wolves. Colossal’s chief science officer Beth Shapiro explains how they extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone, then used computational analysis and CRISPR gene editing to identify and recreate 20 key traits in gray wolf cells. Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, an investor in the company, shares his emotional experience meeting the wolves, clarifying that while many think he invented dire wolves, they were real apex predators of the Ice Age. Beyond the pop culture excitement, the piece emphasizes Colossal’s broader mission: developing technologies that can both revive extinct species and save endangered ones, including their parallel work cloning critically endangered red wolves using a new, less-invasive blood-based technique. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/dire-wolf-back-extinct-scientists-1235312372/