Following the news release, George R.R. Martin shared a pH๏τo along with his experience meeting the de-extinct direwolves in person through his blog. The author corrected that “D-Day” was supposed to be April 8, except the news broke a day early, and for months, he has been “holding his tongue.” Martin further explained that he met all three dire wolves “in February,” showcasing a pH๏τo of him holding either Romulus or Remus, one of the twins who are “hard to tell apart.” However, the author refrained from revealing the location where it took place.

What This Means For Dire Wolves De-Extinctinction

George R.R. Martin Was In Tears When He Saw The Wolves The First Time

Martin was contacted by Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm and filmmaker Peter Jackson months before the dire wolf’s de-extinction was announced. Lamm told ScreenRant about how it happened, stressing that he “would feel inauthentic without sharing this moment with” Martin because the novelist’s work was why “the vast majority people know of” the species in the first place. He shared that Martin broke down in tears the first time he saw the creatures. Read Lamm’s comment below:

Peter Jackson called him up and said, “You’ve got to talk to Ben. Trust me. Take the Zoom. So, he took the Zoom. I said, “You don’t know me. I’m not asking for anything, but I’d feel like an a**hole if I didn’t show [you this]. I don’t want you to read about this online, because while this animal existed and many people know of it, the vast majority people know of it because of you, and I would feel inauthentic without sharing this moment with you.”

He goes, “Okay.” He’s a little confused. I was like, “Can I just share my screen?” I showed it to him. He took off his glᴀsses, held his head, and started crying. [He] started tearing up, and he’s like, “This is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened.” He goes, “This is magic,” and he gave me the quote that was in the press release. He’s like. “I write about magic, but you have created magic.”

Martin is now an investor and cultural advisor at Colossal Biosciences, the world’s only de-extinction company. In the official press release, the author explained that while dire wolves are viewed as mystical creatures in a fantasy world, they were once a huge part of the American ecosystem. While many are excited about the news, the dire wolf’s de-extinction has also received criticism. Some remain skeptical and question the authenticity of the species.

Our Take On Dire Wolves’ De-Extinction

Did They Resurrect Dire Wolves Or Create A New Species?

Martin is overjoyed to see the species he resurrected in the world of Game of Thrones come to life through science, but whether dire wolves have been de-extincted is still up for debate. Colossal claimed that they extracted DNA from dire wolf bones and combined it with edited genetic elements from gray wolves, using a cloning procedure to give birth to three animals. However, scientists have argued that the company’s wolves only resemble the ancient species on a superficial level.

In a way, the resurrected wolves are a new species that combined ancient DNA with modern technology, and as depicted in the Jurᴀssic Park franchise, there could potentially be complications around their future impact. The female wolf is named Khaleesi, another reference to Martin’s Game of Thrones world, which again helps create a fantasy connection around biotechnology. While the news is certainly exciting, the technology should not be taken lightly.

Source: George R.R. Martin/Not A Blog