The dire wolf pups brought back by Colossal Biosciences are doing well and growing fast. These animals, inspired by a species that disappeared over 10,000 years ago, are genetically modified grey wolves designed to look like dire wolves.
Scientists used ancient DNA from fossils to edit grey wolf genes and created three pups named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. Although not pure dire wolves, they carry about 20 gene edits to give them similar features.
Romulus and Remus have doubled in size, now weighing around 90 pounds, which is about 20% larger than average grey wolves. Khaleesi, the youngest, is also larger than typical pups her age.
Before Khaleesi joins her brothers, the team is ensuring they will get along. Romulus and Remus have already formed a pack hierarchy, with Remus as the alpha and Romulus as the beta, but this could change once Khaleesi is introduced.
