Dire wolves aren’t wolves at all #shorts

Dire wolves aren’t actually wolves but what they are might be even cooler.

Thanks to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for having us!

Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios

References:

[eons]

We are excited to bring some of our short form videos to YouTube Shorts but if you are looking for longer-form content from the Eons team, we've just launched our podcast "Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time" where Blake, Michelle and Kallie will focus in on the greatest mysteries of natural history. Check it out in your preferred podcast app!

[marquis]

Dire wolves, I now rename you “Retired Wolves”

[definitelynotobama]

Dire wolf is way too badass a name to give up in the name of taxonomic perfectionism.

[crinkly.love-stick]

A polecat isn't a cat, And a peacock mantis shrimp is none of those 3. I say, call them dire wolves!

[grnmjolnir]

So they still are related to Grey wolves, just more distant cousins than we thought.

[Dresnat]

We all need to stop pretending and call them “Wargs” like Tolkien, haha

[danielmcpherson]

Back in my day, we called them Worgs! We put goblins on 'em and it was GREAT!

[Fossil_Blade]

Dire Hounds, to keep the fact that they are a canid referenced in their name. For the same reason, we could also call them something like Cavewolves or CaveHounds.

[youremakingprogress]

Instead of "dire wolves, " we should just call them "moderately severe wolves." Or maybe Holocene megacanids.

[thefrantasticmissfine]

Direwolves, I re-dubb thee: Doggosaurus

[Zarkoneous]

Finally a chance to name a species hell hound

[SlayerOfTheDamned]

“Dire Consequences” should be the new name since that what you would be when confronting a pack of them

[thestoopidiot]

"Does anyone else feel like a chuckle, when I say the name... Biggus, Doggus?"

[tvthevehicon]

"dire wolves weren't actually wolves, but what they are might be even cooler"

My dumbass: *gasp* THEY WERE WEREWOLVES?!

[VenomSteak]

I don't care what we call them, I just want them back.

[philinator]

It seems the Dire Wolves fell into a dire situation.

[Florkl]

Eh, we have plenty of animal names based off of physiological, rather than genetic taxonomy (red panda, flying fox, glass snake, etc.). I see no reason to change the name Dire Wolf given the mental image of the animal isn’t particularly inaccurate outside of a genetic level.

[missbraindamage]

I never knew dire wolves were actually real... this whole time I thought they were a fantasy animal.

[rockjock]

Science: Dire Wolves are NOT wolves.
Dire Wolves in the Afterlife: Huh, this must be how Pluto feels?

[saikanji]

Since they aren't wolves, I elect to call them "Big Woofs"