The Dire Wolf was a powerful
creature, but now he is extinct. The Dire Wolf lived during the last
Ice Age and it ranged all throughout the Western Hemisphere. The
Dire Wolf became extinct over 10,000 years ago. Over 3,600 Dire Wolves
have been recovered from Rancho La Brea. That's more than any other
species of mammal that has been recovered from Rancho La Brea. The
large number of Dire Wolves found at Rancho La Brea implies that,
like the Saber-Toothed Cat, they may have hunted in packs. Since
they hunted in packs, more than just one wolf got caught in the tar
pits. the Dire Wolf was a close relative to the Timber Wolf, which
has also been recovered from Rancho La Brea. The only difference
between the Dire Wolf and the Timber Wolf is the size of their teeth
and the Dire Wolf is a little bit smaller than the Timber Wolf. The
Dire Wolf had slightly larger teeth than the Timber Wolf. These dental
differences suggest that the Dire Wolf could crush bones more efficiently.
Modern Timber Wolves are often kicked or stepped on while chasing
and capturing such large animals such as moose. The fossils of Dire
Wolves sometimes show similar types of injuries. These Dire Wolves
may have been injured while hunting either some extinct horses or
bison. Another name for the Dire Wolf is Canis Dirus. The case you
see above contains more than 400 Dire Wolf skulls. WOW!! That's a
lot! Carnivores have been uncovered way more than the omnivores which
puts the Dire Wolf in there. The Dire Wolf has more bones that have
been uncovered than any other animal found.