The Dire Wolf Has Not Been Revived: Problems for Conservation Biology

Illustration of what an extinct Ise Age dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) may have looked like, based on mounted fossil material from the tar pits at Rancho La Brea, California. Illustration by Laura Cunningham Copyright 2025.

In early April, Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences claimed they had resurrected the long-extinct Ice Age dire wolf using gene editing techniques such as CRISPR on gray wolf genes. These edited genes were then inserted into eggs that were carried to term by domestic dogs.