The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus[10] / iːˈnɒkaɪ.ɒn ˈdaɪrəs /) is an extinct species of canine which was native to the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–10,000 years ago). The species was named in 1858, four years after the first specimen had been found.

5 days ago · dire wolf, (Aenocyon dirus), canine that existed during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). It is probably the most common mammalian species to be found preserved in the La Brea Tar Pits in southern California.

Apr 10, 2025 · Dire wolf remains have been found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico and coast to coast in the southern portions of the United States. Nearly 4,000 dire wolf fossils have been ...

Dec 3, 2018 · Made famous by the ‘Game of Thrones’ books and TV show, the dire wolf was in fact a real species. This large, intelligent predator was closely related to the grey wolf. It lived in North and South America during the Ice Age.

Apr 8, 2025 · Scientists trying to bring back dire wolves 01:24. For the first time ever, scientists say they have made a species de-extinct, bringing the dire wolf back into the world thousands of years after ...

4 days ago · The company’s researchers extracted and studied ancient dire wolf DNA from a pair of fossils, and then made 20 edits to the genomes of modified modern gray wolf embryos to make the resulting ...

Oct 12, 2021 · 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. In terms of body size, the dire wolf was on average the size of the largest gray wolves which have a shoulder height of 38 inches and a body length ...

Apr 7, 2025 · The revival of the dire wolf heralds the advent of a thrilling new era of scientific wonder, showcasing how the concept of “de-extinction” can serve as a bedrock for modern species conservation. The dire wolf revival is more than a scientific triumph, it carries profound cultural significance as it embodies strength and courage that is ...

5 days ago · Roughly two-thirds of the dire wolf genome seems to originate from an ancestor of wolves and coyotes, while the remaining third comes from an ancient lineage related to South American dogs. This finding suggests that the dire wolf arose through interbreeding between distantly related lineages approximately 4 to 5 million years ago.

What’s the backstory of dire wolves, the most-found mammal at La Brea Tar Pits? Here are five juicy morsels about this extinct species that once howled through the Ice Age. 1. These infamous pack hunters prowled around Ice Age L.A., between 50,000 and 13,000 years ago.