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VentureBeat reports on Colossal Biosciences’ announcement of the dire wolf’s successful revival from extinction after more than 12,500 years. The Dallas-based de-extinction company has birthed three dire wolves—two males named Romulus and Remus, and a female named Khaleesi—through groundbreaking genetic engineering involving 20 unique precision edits to the gray wolf genome. CEO Ben Lamm describes how their team extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to create “healthy dire wolf puppies,” setting a new record for precision germline editing in any animal. The article details the comprehensive scientific process, from ancient DNA extraction and genome assembly to CRISPR editing and embryo implantation in surrogate mothers. The wolves now reside on a 2,000-acre ecological preserve certified by the American Humane Society, where they’re continuously monitored for safety and welfare. Alongside this achievement, Colossal has birthed two litters of critically endangered red wolves using their novel non-invasive blood cloning technique, demonstrating how de-extinction technologies can directly support conservation efforts. The piece includes an update addressing scientific critics, with Colossal defending their classification of the animals as dire wolves based on their extensive genetic research and the animals’ distinctive physical characteristics, including larger size, increased muscle mass, and white coats. https://venturebeat.com/games/the-dire-wolf-has-returned-from-the-dead-a-dallas-company-de-extincted-them/