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dire wolf

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dire wolf

Extinct wolf (Canis dirus) that existed during the Pleistocene Epoch (1.8 million–10,000 years ago), probably the most common mammalian species found preserved in the La Brea Tar Pits. It differed from the modern wolf in being larger and having a more massive skull, a smaller brain (and probably less intelligence), and relatively light limbs. The species was considerably widespread; skeletal remains have been found in Florida and the Mississippi valley in the U.S., as well as in the Valley of Mexico.


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Three were herbivores--the western horse, the ancient bison, and the 2-meter-tall Harlan's ground sloth-and four were predators--the dire wolf, the saber-toothed cat, the North American lion, and the coyote.
After all, the mastodon and dire wolf vanished 10,000 years ago, and only a handful of buffalo remain.
Earlier, smaller excavations near the reservoir site have already uncovered mammoth and mastodon fossils and tusks, as well as the remains of an extinct zebra-like horse, bison, ground sloths, camel and dire wolf.
 
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