The Dying out of the Dire Wolf

 

          There had been a controversy over whether or not the dire wolf actually existed, based mostly on the fact that the dire wolf often appears in stories of mythology (Such and Game of Thrones. I mean..If you haven’t seen that show.. Do it. Now. Do it!)

The dire wolf (Canis dirus "fearsome dog") is an extinct and very carnivorous mammal. The closest that could be measured of its size is that it is roughly the size of the extant gray wolf, but with a heavier build. These beautiful and once extremely powerful wolves were said to have gone extinct over 10,000 years ago. The dire wolf averaged to be about 5 feet in length and weighed between 110 and 174 pounds. Dire wolves are in the same carnivorous grouping as the smaller gray wolves and coyotes. Though, their bites are believed to be about 129% more force than a modern gray wolf. They often fed on larger prey and megafauna which is made quite clear by their strong bite and their body size. They did tend to travel in packs as most wolves do, but they did not specialize in their hunting. They fed on whatever was abundant to them and kept them fed. An interesting difference in the wolves is that the wolves in the older pits show much more breaking of their teeth. Scientists are unsure of whether it is the diet of the previous wolves or the age of the previous wolves that affected this. Whether the dire wolf actually originated in North America or South America is a majorly controversial topic. Most paleontologists would tend to lean toward North America because of the potential for progenitors and the number of sightings in North America to South America is 136 to 3. It is believed this wolf originated in North America and Central America and later migrated to South America. Dire wolves are actually domesticated and used as pets in the first season of Game of Thrones. They are believed to be extinct and, therefore, considered a myth as there are not supposed to be any left. The wolves, at least in the show, domesticated quite well for the children of Winterfell and became very beloved pets. One of them actually protected the young boy who had found him when he was nearly murdered. Another protected the daughter of Ned Stark and was slaughtered for biting Prince Joffrey. Now, how accurately the wolves were portrayed in the show is unknown, but the creatures were quite large in size, hopefully putting into perspective the measurements of these wolves.