A dire wolf (scientific name Aenocyon dirus) is an extinct species of large canine that lived in the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs, approximately 125,000 to 10,000 years ago
. It was about the size of the largest modern gray wolves but had a more robust build, with thicker legs, a wider head, broader shoulders, and a stronger bite force due to larger teeth and more powerful jaw muscles
. Dire wolves were adapted to prey on large herbivores of their time, such as ancient horses, bison, camels, and ground sloths, and they likely hunted in packs similar to modern wolves
. Their teeth showed adaptations for shearing meat and crushing bone, indicating they were capable predators and scavengers
. Fossils of dire wolves have been found mainly in North and South America, with a significant number discovered at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles
. They went extinct around 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change, loss of prey species, and competition with other predators
. In summary, the dire wolf was a large, powerful prehistoric wolf species specialized for hunting megafauna during the Ice Age, distinct from but similar in size to modern gray wolves
