The ‘dire wolf’ dilemma

Dire Wolves Would Destroy Everything If Reintroduced In Wyoming, Biologists Say

A bioscience company’s announcement this week that it’s brought back long-extinct dire wolves raised a lot of eyebrows. But they would destroy everything…

In 1935, a few shuddering seconds were filmed. A tilacino, or Tasmania tiger, sniffs at the floor and meshes of his cage with obvious anxiety, seeking to get out of his confinement. It was not the last specimen of the Thylacinus cynocephalus: she would die on the night of September 7, 1936 at Hobart Zoo. It was not known for months because she had been illegally hunted. Most of the Tasmania tigers were exterminated on the Australian island by hu…

Scientists Warn Dire Wolf Could Bring ‘Unintended Consequences’

Earlier this week, Colossal Biosciences claimed that they’d brought the dire wolf back from extinction after some 12,000 years. They debuted photos of five-month-old Romulus and Remus, two fluffy, snow-white wolves that the company claims represent their first successful effort in “de-extincion.” The wolves, with longer, thicker, lighter-colored coats than gray wolves and a larger stature and stronger jaw, also have a younger “sister,” Khaleesi,…

Is the Dire Wolf Truly Back From the Dead?

After a start-up claimed to have de-extincted a species, the internet called BS. But the founders insist it's real-and the woolly mammoth is next.

First came the dire wolf - the wooly mammoth is next

With all the insane news this week surrounding President Trump’s tariff and trade drama, only one non-political story was significant enough to break through the news cycle: a Texas-based company called Colossal Biosciences has bred three dire wolves and is currently keeping them in a secret 2,000-acre natural habitat somewhere in the United States. That’s right: dire wolves. An extinct species. A beast so mythical that we only really know of it…

Science news this week: Controversy around the dire wolf 'de-extinctions' and a 3D hologram breakthrough

April 12, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.