We live in an age of mythological proportions; animals that have been driven extinct are now being resurrected from the dead. There are, of course, moral implications from such events. However, the people at the company Colossus Biosciences (based out of Dallas, Texas) believe they have a moral answer – no, a moral imperative – to bring back species driven to extinction, and to help modify current species to survive our rapidly changing ecosystems.

Using the common gray wolf as a genetic template, the scientists made 20 edits in 14 genes; these edits were based on a genetic analysis of two museum samples: one from a 13,000-year-old tooth found in Sheridan Pit, Ohio, the second from a 72,000-year-old ear bone unearthed in American Falls, Idaho. Both of these were from samples housed in museums.

The end result: two dire wolves named Romulus and Remus. These pups have white fur, are significantly large – at 6 months, they are nearly 4 feet in length, and around 80 pounds – and could grow as large as 6 feet and 150 pounds. They also have a younger sister named Khaleesi, only 2 months old as of this writing.

Not beasts to trifle with.

Are we Humans playing Gods? Possibly.

But the Wolf’s mythological tales includes one about Gods playing Humans.

Introducing Romulus and Remus, sons of Mars, and the She-Wolf who nursed them.

Since at least the 3rd century B.C.E., the symbol of the city Rome has been one of a she-wolf suckling the cities mythic founders when they were babies abandoned to die in the woods.

Now historically, this event would have had to have occurred before 740 B.C.E., but once again, the earliest attestations come from the 3rd century B.C.E.

Romulus and Remus were left to die by their grand-uncle after he deposed their grandfather. Their mother was said to be a Vestal Virgin, and at least some myths have her being impregnated by Mars, the God of War himself, when she wandered into his sacred grove, making them semi-divine. Other variants have their grand-uncle raping their mother, which might explain why he didn’t kill them outright. Either way, their grand-uncle left them in the wilds, presumably to die.

The God of the river Tiber protected them, and eventually a shepherd found and adopted them, but it was the She Wolf which fed them in a cave known as Lupercal (Lupus meaning Wolf in Latin)

Now, in much the same way that their grandfather was deposed by his brother, Romulus would eventually fatally battle with Remus. Homo homini lupus, Man is Wolf to Man. Let’s hope the Dire-pups are more civilized.

Rome collapsed under the weight of its own decadence, and its own hubris. Maybe its only fitting that in an age that is equally questionable, we have the hubris to bring back a lost species and name them Romulus and Remus.

May be this is more than just clever naming – maybe it’s an omen of what is yet to come, and the cyclic nature of history.

Or maybe its just three cute puppies.

Only the Gods, and time, will tell.