Dire wolf was the largest wolf that ever lived. The dire wolf was similar in length and height to the modern gray wolf, but much heavier. An adult dire wolf weighed from 125 to 175 pounds (60 to 80 kilograms). The dire wolf lived during the latter part of the Pleistocene Epoch. The Pleistocene Epoch was a time in Earth’s history that lasted from about 2.6 million years ago to about 11,500 years ago. Dire wolves were fearsome predators (hunting animals). The dire wolf was more muscular than the modern gray wolf and had a larger head. The dire wolf had powerful jaws and strong teeth, capable of crushing and eating even large bones.
Dire wolves lived in much of North America from what is now Alaska to modern day Florida. Later, they spread into western South America from what is now Ecuador to Bolivia and Chile. They hunted in forest, mountain, and grassland habitats.
Fossils of dire wolves were first discovered in 1854 near Evansville, Indiana. Dire wolf bones rank among the most common fossils recovered at the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, California. The thousands of dire wolf fossils found at the tar pits show evidence that the animal lived and hunted in packs. Chemical analysis of dire wolf bones reveals that the animal mainly ate bison and horse. Dire wolves probably preyed less often upon even larger animals, including prehistoric mastodons and giant ground sloths. Dire wolves shared much of their range with Smilodon, a large saber-toothed cat that lived during the same time. Paleontologists (fossil scientists) think that Smilodon preyed upon the largest of animals. Dire wolves may have scavenged some Smilodon kills.
Dire wolves became extinct soon after the end of the last ice age, around 10,000 years ago. Many scientists think that the disappearance of the dire wolf was related to the extinction of many prehistoric animal species in North America around the same time. Prehistoric human hunters crossed into North America from northeast Asia around this time, competing with dire wolves for prey. Scientists think the large-bodied dire wolves could not adapt to hunting smaller prey once the larger animals had disappeared. Other experts think that climate change, disease, or a combination of factors caused the dire wolf’s extinction.
