The species’ teeth are also thought to have been better at shearing and slicing. The dire wolf had several adaptations for taking down powerful prey, including a bite that was around 29% stronger than that of the modern gray wolf. Its skull and teeth were adapted to hunting large prey. its diet consisted of at least 70% meat). The dire wolf was a ‘hypercarnivore’ (i.e. What Did Dire Wolves Eat? Dire wolves attacking a young woolly mammoth. This means that they would have lived in packs consisting of a mated pair and their offspring, and occasionally other related individuals. It is likely that the social structure of dire wolves resembled that of modern gray wolves. The small size difference between male and female wolves indicates that they formed monogamous pairs. The large number of dire wolves found at La Brea tar pits suggests that the animal lived and hunted in packs. Behavior & Lifestyle The dire wolf probably lived in packs led by an alpha pair. The species also occurred at higher elevations of up to 2,255 m (7,400 ft.). Here it would have lived alongside the large herbivores upon which it preyed. In South America, the species appears to have inhabited arid savanna.įossil evidence indicates that the dire wolf most commonly inhabited open lowlands. Mexican fossils have been found in areas that were once either grassland, deciduous forest, tropical marsh or thorn-scrub. North American dire wolf fossils occurred in areas likely to have been open grasslands and plains, as well as in forested mountain areas. The dire wolf seems to have been a generalist, able to live in a wide range of habitats. Over 4,000 specimens have been found here, making the species the most commonly-found large mammal found at the site. The site of the largest number of dire wolf fossil finds is La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, California. This is probably due to limitations imposed by temperature, habitat and/or availability of prey. All specimens found in the continent are less than 17,000 years old.įew fossils have been found north of the 42°N latitude. The species was rarer in South America than it was in North America.ĭire wolf fossils have been found at just 3 sites in South America (in Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia). Scientists believe that the dire wolf spread to South America via the Andean corridor. It occurred mainly in the western United States. The larger subspecies occurred mainly in the eastern United States.Ĭanis dirus guildayi appears to have evolved more recently. Its range stretched from southern Canada to southern Bolivia.Ĭanis dirus dirus appears in the fossil records first. The dire wolf occurred in both North and South America.
There was little difference in size between male and female dire wolves.īiologists believe that the coat of the dire wolf was similar in color to that of modern wolves. Recent specimens are smaller in size and have shorter snouts than older specimens. The size of dire wolves also appears to have changed over time. The former also had longer limbs, although its teeth were shorter. Of the 2 dire wolf subspecies, Canis dirus dirus was larger and heavier than Canis dirus guildayi.
The dire wolf was more robust than its living counterpart, and its skull was broader and heavier. (The Interior Alaskan wolf, otherwise known as the Yukon wolf, is a living subspecies of grey wolf.) The dire wolf resembled the Interior Alaskan wolf ( Canis lupus pambasileus) in both body shape and proportions. Only the very largest of today’s wolves would equal the size of the average dire wolf. What Did The Dire Wolf Look Like?ĭire wolves are the largest known members of the genus Canis (the genus that includes all wolves, coyotes and jackals). The dire wolf’s scientific name, Canis dirus, means ‘fearsome dog’. Two subspecies, Canis dirus dirus and Canis dirus guildayi, have since been identified from fossil finds. The discovery of the first dire wolf specimen occurred in 1854, in Indiana, USA. The species was closely related to, and for a time even coexisted with, the gray wolf ( Canis lupus). It lived during the late Pleistocene epoch from around 125,000 to 9,440 years ago. The dire wolf is an extinct American carnivore.
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Made famous by the ‘Game of Thrones’ books and TV show, the dire wolf was in fact a real species.
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