Game of Thrones’ Dire Wolf Species De-Extinct After 10,000 Years

The dire wolf is no longer simply immortalized on the House of Stark’s crest.  

In fact, the grizzly creatures featured in Game of Thrones have made their shocking grand return on Earth after going extinct over 10,000 years ago, thanks to biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences. 

Using DNA from two dire wolf fossils, along with 20 edits in 14 genes of the gray wolf, the species’ closest living relative, scientists at the company brought to life Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi. (The first two were named after the mythological twin founders of Rome, who were believed to have been raised by a wolf, while the latter’s is an homage to the HBO series’ Daenerys Targaryen.) 

“Our team is proud to return the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem,” the company shared on its website. “Colossal’s innovations in science, technology and conservation made it possible to accomplish something that’s never been done before: the revival of a species from its longstanding population of zero.”