Canis dirus (extinct species)

Scope note: Species of New World canid that existed during the Pleistocene Epoch (1,600,000 to 10,000 years ago), differing from the modern wolf in its larger size, more massive skull, smaller brain, and relatively light limbs. It was widespread, with remains found in Florida, the Mississippi Valley, the Valley of Mexico, the La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles, and other sites. Although it was closely related to the gray wolf, it was not the direct ancestor of any species known today. The type specimen (a fossilized jawbone) of the dire wolf was found in Evansville, Indiana in the summer of 1854, when the Ohio River was quite low.

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