Once-extinct dire wolf pups have doubled in size in mere months after being brought back from extinction
Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi are growing bigger than most gray wolves.
The dire wolves were created by Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based genetics company using cutting-edge technology to bring extinct species back to life, including the woolly mammoth, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers.
In a newly released video, Colossal Biosciences revealed that male pups Romulus and Remus were over six months-old and weigh more than 90lb each.
That is about 20 per cent larger than a standard gray wolf, making them the closest thing to a real-life dire wolf of more than 10,000 years.
Romulus and Remus were born last October, while female Khaleesi was born in January, making her the youngest of the pack.
In the video uploaded by Colossal, the male pups were seen running and playing together, chasing each other, and showing friendly behavior, which reflects healthy social bonding.
They also seemed comfortable in their new outdoor surroundings after leaving the laboratory.
Matt James of Colossal said: 'They're nice large wolves that are much more representative of what we saw in the ancient specimens.'
The pups are now getting ready for their first full medical checkup, which will include CT scans and blood tests to study their bones, muscles, and internal growth.
Scientists say these physical changes, like their unusually large size, show that the dire wolf genes engineered into their DNA before they were born is now actively shaping their development.
The team also gave an update on Khaleesi, describing her as 'a little smaller, a little younger'.
According to researchers, the female wolves are naturally smaller and tend to grow at a slightly slower pace compared to males.
James said: '[Khaleesi] currently weighs about 35lb, but is still tracking about 10 to 15 per cent larger than what we have seen in gray wolves.'
Khaleesi's being kept separate for now to ensure she's big enough to safely join her older brothers. Colossal's carefully watching her growth before moving to a gradual, staged introduction.
In the footage, James described the pups' growth as impressive, noting they have hit all expected milestones for development.
Currently, the pups are eating an adult diet of a high-quality kibble for dogs, game-grade ground meat and bones to help them develop hunting instincts.
Paige McNichol of Colossal said: 'Remus is really taking on that alpha role, and Romulus is stepping down and being more subordinate in the pack.'
Although Remus is slightly smaller than Romulus, he's proving to be more dominant and constantly watches his surroundings as he thinks before acting, a behavior McNichol described as crafty and calculated.
That makes him more of a strategic leader, while Romulus, though physically larger, tends to charge ahead first but follows his brother's lead during interactions, a classic behavior among beta males.
McNichol said: 'This dynamic may change as they grow, especially when their younger pack mate Khaleesi is introduced.'
The team's slowly introducing her to Romulus and Remus, starting with visits through fences.
James said: 'We're looking for really strong indicators that they are socially compatible.'
The eventual goal is to release all three on to a private preserve where they can live as a functioning pack.
Six months ago, Colossal made headlines when it first announced the births of the wolves, claiming to have 'brought back' the dire wolf.
These pups are lab-made hybrid wolves, engineered to revive the ancient predators using advanced DNA-editing tools.
Scientists compared the ancient dire wolf's DNA to a gray wolf's, identifying 14 distinct genes and made 20 changes to match DNA, resulting in them being larger and more resembling wolves.
Nic Rawlence of the University of Otago said: 'To truly de-extinct something, you would have to clone it.
'The problem is we can't clone extinct animals because the DNA is not well enough preserved.'
The process started by extracting ancient DNA from fossils and comparing it to the gray wolf's DNA.
Scientists then made changes to mimic the dire wolf, and then they implanted it into a surrogate mother, giving birth to a genetically made dire pup.
The three pups were born via this method, which Colossal calls part of its 'de-extinction tool kit'.
The company says that the broader plan is to correct past ecological damage caused by human activity, including overhunting and habitat destruction.
The company's site said: 'We're committed to rectifying the past and rehabilitating nature on a global scale.'
For now, the team revealed the final size of the breed is uncertain, but they're looking for signs that the pups may continue growing toward the size of their ancient counterparts.
Historically, extinct dire wolves stood about 3ft tall at the shoulder and reached lengths of up to 6ft, which makes them 30-40 per cent heavier than today's gray wolves.
Fossil evidence suggests they could weigh between 130-150lb, according to the National Park Service.
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