This Isn't A Wolf - Dire Wolf

Winter is coming... oh, also, Dire Wolves are apparently not wolves, go figure.

If you want more ExtinctZoo 🦖:

0:00 Intro
0:35 Classification As A Wolf
1:30 Reclassification & Closest Living Relative
2:08 Convergent Evolution
2:36 Size
3:40 Dire Wolf Subspecies
4:52 Pound for Pound Strongest Bite of Any Placental Mammal
5:25 Bite Force Compared To Smilodon
5:34 Advanced Dentition (Teeth)
6:04 Dire Wolf Packs
6:43 Coexisting Herbivores/Confirmed Prey
7:12 Pack Hunting Strategy
7:39 Hypercarnivore & Fruits
8:00 Evidence That Dire Wolves 'Dominated' Other Predators
8:40 Range
9:12 Trouble Succeeding In China
9:45 Competitors/Predators It Lived With
10:20 Human Interactions?
10:42 Extinction
11:24 Why Modern Wolves Survived But The Dire Wolf Didn't

Thumbnail artwork by Julio Lacerda

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

No Copyright Music
Dreamer by Hazy / hazy_music

[rhensontollhouse]

If you ever have an extra 2-3 hours in Los Angeles go to the La Brea Tar Pits Museum. Hundreds of Dire Wolf skeletons, also the American Lion, Imperial Mammoth and other giant mammal skeletons. These are actual entire skeletons, not fossils, impressive.

[kozdagod]

That clip of the big bison charging and tipping over the smaller bison is crazy, he literally gave that bison for the wolves for free

[geigertec]

"Be careful of Dire Wolves, they're like regular wolves, only dire." -Canadian Mounty

[samrizzardi]

The aforementioned cave hyena would deserve a video of its own. It was literally _everywhere_ in Pleistocene Eurasia

[Phatman]

So Dire Wolves have similar features and are slightly larger than Grey Wolves, but are genetically closer to Jackals. Cool. Evolution is such a trip. Thanks for the video.

[williamwallace]

It's so interesting to learn about all of these new animals. As a kid, I wanted to become a zoologist so it has always interested me. I ended up becoming an aerospace engineer which I enjoy but it wasn't my passion. Awesome channel

[beastmaster]

I wonder if grey wolves were strict forest dwellers when dire wolves were still around.
Only becoming predators of open plains when the dire wolves died out

[matthewzito]

1) I wonder if the Gray Wolves that lived alongside Dire Wolves were somewhat smaller than modern Gray Wolves, or at least smaller than the largest modern Gray Wolves. If so, they may have hunted smaller prey like deer and/or favored different habitats to limit competition with Dire Wolves.
2) Perhaps Dire Wolves were slower than modern wolves making them more dependent on larger, slower prey species that eventually died out.

[hirvale]

Now for the rest of my life I'm gonna have to go on a "wtf did they just resurrect" youtube rabbit hole just so they don't catch me lacking

[genesisnineteen]

you deserve 10 million subs, I really loved paleontology when I was a kid (I’m 22 now) and watching your videos has gotten me back into it! Keep going man thanks for what you do.

[petergianarakos]

The LA Brea tar pits are a must for those interested in the animals that lived in what would become Los Angeles. Thanks for this really interesting, and cool, presentation.

[joshua.-]

Dude that bison scarified the one running from the wolves

[kennethsatria]

I remember finding out about that discovery that it was not closely related to grey wolves, and feeling very excited because it meant greater complexity to their paleoart design depictions, I particularly like when they are shown with reddish fur.

[sadierobotics]

I love that the extinct camels are just called Yesterday's Camels. I love it so much.

[jeffyoung]

The dire wolf was the summation of your greatest childhood Hansel and Gretel nightmares.

[senoutside]

People tried to claim that the wolves reintroduced into Yellowstone were some sort of Dire / Timberwolf hybrid 😒. Glad to hear the genome of the Dire was sequenced and that idea can be disproven.

[duacto]

Came here right after seeing the new Colossal Dire Wolve clones

[razatiger]

It would seem as though the "Dire Wolf" filled a similar niche in the Americas to what the modern day Hyenas of Africa fill, as in they were probably the only canid-like species that was capable of competing with the American Lion, Sabertooth Tiger and Short faced bear.

I would imagine the American grey wolves would have acted similar to the African Wild dog since they were much smaller. Now Gray Wolves are at the top of the food chain in NA with Puma and Grizzley bears since their bigger cousins all died out.

[kneedeepinbluebells]

" If you were transported to the Pleistocene ... " Honestly - That IS A Frequent And Fervent Wish Of Mine 🙏🏻

[markcrume]

Dude, that was outstanding. I loved it! Thanks.