Game of Thrones has given us a lot in terms of not only entertainment, but an interesting look at what life might have been like with dragons and Dire Wolves. But we all know that it is fiction. However, what isn’t fiction is the fact that a genetics company has essentially brought Dire Wolves back from extinction!
That’s right, Dire Wolves, which have been made famous once again by their appearance in Game of Thrones, have been brought back to life. According to People Magazine, a team from Colossal Biosciences used DNA from a tooth that is 13,000 years old and a skull that was 72,000 years old, and essentially cloned Dire Wolves.
And in a statement released on April 7, it was revealed that there have actually been three healthy Dire Wolf puppies had been born. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those three puppies have very interesting names. Currently being raised in a nature preserve, our three new Dire Wolves are named Remus, Romulus and of course Khalessi.
Has Game of Thrones sparked enough interest in Dire Wolves that we brought them back from extinction?
It seems that the purpose of this project is to help reverse extinction and potentially give certain animals a new lease on life. In this case, it seems that the Dire Wolves are a step towards helping to revive long lost animals, including the Wolly Mammoth. In essence, it seems that this project is a way to help with conservation through technology.
While Dire Wolves may have once been thought to be nothing more than fantasy at this point in history, and with this scientific advancement, they are no longer just found in the pages of books and recreated on screen with the help of large dog breeds. Could this be the start of something bigger? Could Dire Wolves become a real part of our natural world? At this point, it seems that anything is possible.
In a statement from George R.R. Martin, he shared his own thoughts by saying, "Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, they have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem." And I admit that I love what he said, because he is not wrong about the history of so many animals, including the Dire Wolf.
Move over Ghost, there is a new Dire Wolf in town.