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- DictionaryDire wolf/ˈdī(ə)r wo͝olf/
noun
- 1. a large extinct wolf of the Pleistocene epoch, which preyed on large mammals.
The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus[10] / iːˈnɒsaɪ.ɒn ˈdaɪrəs /) is an extinct canine. The dire wolf lived in the Americas (with a possible single record also known from East Asia) during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–9,500 years ago). The species was named in 1858, four years after the first specimen had been found.
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Jan 28, 2021 · The meaning of DIRE WOLF is a large extinct wolflike mammal (Canis dirus) known from Pleistocene deposits of North America.
Dire wolf, canine that existed during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). It is probably the most common mammal to be found preserved in the La Brea Tar Pits in southern California.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Dire Wolf Facts at A Glance
- Meet The Dire Wolf: Introduction
- What Did The Dire Wolf Look like?
- Where Was The Dire Wolf Found?
- Dire Wolf Habitat
- Behavior & Lifestyle
- What Did Dire Wolves Eat?
- Why Did The Dire Wolf Become Extinct?
Scientific name:Canis dirusType of Animal: MammalAnimal Family:Canidae (the dog family)Fossils Found:North America and northern South AmericaThe dire wolf is an extinct American carnivore. It lived during the late Pleistocene epoch from around 125,000 to 9,440 years ago. The species was closely related to, and for a time even coexisted with, the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The discovery of the first dire wolf specimen occurred in 1854, in Indiana, USA. Two subspecies, Canis dirus dirus and...
Dire wolves are the largest known members of the genus Canis(the genus that includes all wolves, coyotes and jackals). Only the very largest of today's wolves would equal the size of the average dire wolf. The dire wolf resembled the Interior Alaskan wolf (Canis lupus pambasileus) in both body shape and proportions. (The Interior Alaskan wolf, othe...
The dire wolf occurred in both North and South America. Its range stretched from southern Canada to southern Bolivia. Canis dirus dirusappears in the fossil records first. The larger subspecies occurred mainly in the eastern United States. Canis dirus guildayiappears to have evolved more recently. It occurred mainly in the western United States. Sc...
The dire wolf seems to have been a generalist, able to live in a wide range of habitats. North American dire wolf fossils occurred in areas likely to have been open grasslands and plains, as well as in forested mountain areas. Mexican fossils have been found in areas that were once either grassland, deciduous forest, tropical marsh or thorn-scrub. ...
The large number of dire wolves found at La Brea tar pits suggests that the animal lived and hunted in packs. The small size difference between male and female wolves indicates that they formed monogamous pairs. It is likely that the social structure of dire wolves resembled that of modern gray wolves. This means that they would have lived in packs...
The dire wolf was a ‘hypercarnivore’ (i.e. its diet consisted of at least 70% meat). Its skull and teeth were adapted to hunting large prey. 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. The species' teeth are also thought to have been better at ...
The dire wolf became extinct alongside most other Pleistocene megafauna after the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago. Possible reasons for the species' extinction include: the disappearance of the megaherbivores on which the dire wolf preyed; climate change; and competition with other predators (including human hunters). The most recent verified...
an extinct canid species, Aenocyon dirus, with two recognized subspecies ( A. dirus dirus and A. dirus guildayi ), living in the Americas and eastern Asia during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs: similar in size to the largest modern gray wolf ( Canis lupus ), but with larger, more powerful teeth suited for preying upon large ...
Dire wolf definition: an extinct canid species, Aenocyon dirus, with two recognized subspecies (A. dirus dirus and A. dirus guildayi), living in the Americas and eastern Asia during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. See examples of DIRE WOLF used in a sentence.
Oct 12, 2021 · Description. The dire wolf was the largest of the Late Pleistocene canids of North America. The skull could reach up to 12 inches in length and its teeth were larger and more robust than today’s gray wolves.
