The
Dire Wolf
Description
Current Status: The
Dire Wolf roamed the earth 9,000 years ago.
Name: The
Dire Wolf (Canis dirus)
Physical Profile:
The average size of the Dire Wolf was about 5 feet long, and weighing about
110 pounds. They looked a lot like the modern gray wolf, other then
a few features their heads were much larger then the gray wolf, and they
had much larger teeth. They also had much shorter but sturdier legs
than the gray wolf.
Geographical Range: Remains
of nearly 2000 dire wolves have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los
Angeles.
Miscellaneous Facts: Many
paleontologists believe that they used their massive teeth to crush bone,
because of the amount of wear found on their crowns.
The fact
that they had shorter legs leads to the belief that they did not run as
well as the modern gray wolf.
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