“Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin scored some serious prehistoric cred, becoming one of the first people to meet some newly resurrected dire wolves IRL — yep, the very same ones that made an appearance on his show.
Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences, flew George out in February to meet the pups named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi — and a source tells TMZ that George broke down in happy tears when he came face to face with the dire wolf pups, which were brought to life using ancient DNA.
We’re told Martin told Lamm the wolves are one of the greatest things he’s ever seen — and he even wrote on his blog that despite their mythical reputation, dire wolves have a rich history in shaping the American ecosystem.
Colossal Biosciences
The company explains these wolves are packed with the traits of the long-lost canines, who are now touted as one of the world’s first successful de-extinction of an animal as part of the company’s sustainable project. Dire wolves differ from modern wolves in their much larger, muscular bodies and more prominent jaws and teeth.
So, how’d they pull it off, you ask? Well, the company used gene-editing to tweak DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull of a gray wolf — the dire wolf’s closest living relative — to birth a hybrid that looks pretty much like those dire wolf puppies.
Looks like the dire wolves are living their best lives at a secret nature preserve with top-tier fencing, courtesy of the company — which is certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Good thing, too — can you imagine the utter “Game of Thrones” meets “Jurassic Park” style mayhem if something went off-track with their DNA? Yeah, no thanks.
