When Asa was a puppy, he decided that one day he would grow up to be a Dire Wolf. I’m still not sure what inspired this belief, that he was one of the fiercest prehistoric carnivores in North America. However, I was always skeptical because I didn’t see Asa exhibit any true wolflike qualities, especially considering his inability to harm even a stuffed animal. Besides, how could something as mighty as a wolf go extinct? Which the Dire Wolf did approximately 13,000 years ago. Well scientists have finally come up with an answer. Dire Wolves aren’t wolves. They are an entity unto themselves!
For hundred of years, Dire Wolves had fooled archeologists into thinking they were wolves. After all, their bone structures were similar to wolves, coyotes, and dogs, just 20% bigger. They also hunted in packs as fossil evidence has shown. However, as Angela Perri, a zooarchaeologist at Durham University and one of the study’s lead authors, explains, “Even though they look like wolves, Dire Wolves actually have nothing to do with wolves.”
Using genetic samples from dozens of Dire Wolf remains at universities and museums from across North America, scientists recovered about one-quarter of the nuclear genome and the full mitochondrial DNA across five specimens, ranging in age from about 13,000 to more than 50,000 years old. This DNA analysis revealed a distinct lineage that split off from the rest of the canines approximately 5.7 million years ago.
The genetic analysis revealed that Dire Wolves were probably the only wolflike species for perhaps hundreds of thousands years in the Americas, before the arrival of gray wolves and coyotes from Eurasia, approximately 20,000 years ago. In fact scientists found no evidence of genetic mixing between Dire Wolves and gray wolves or coyotes in their sample. Other scientists are quick to point out though that the team was unable to get complete genomes from any of its specimens. Therefore there could be missing genetic signatures, and more research needs to be done.
However, there is enough evidence for scientists to debate removing Dire Wolves from Canis dirus, and instead reclassifying them as Aenocyon dirus. Although to be honest, I have no idea what that means, other than they can still be called Dire Wolves, but not actually be a wolf. I do know though that some scientists have gone as far as to suggest our current depiction of the Dire Wolf should be adjusted to include red fur, a bushy tail, and more rounded ears. Do I dare suggest floppy ears so as to more resemble our Dire Wolf, Asa?
To learn more we suggest reading the report by Perri, A.R., Mitchell, K.J., Mouton, A. et al. “Dire wolves were the last of an ancient New World canid lineage,” published in Nature, on January 13, 2021. Also a big thank you to our friend, Crimson, for bringing our attention to these startling findings that put Asa’s belief in being a Dire Wolf in dire straits.
