the dire wolf lived in the early holocene.
the dire wolf lived in the early holocene.
how long ago did the dire wolf live?
early holocene
Na
Na
a study of the cranial measurements and jaw muscles of dire wolves found no significant differences with modern gray wolves in all but 4 of 15 measures. upper dentition was the same except that the dire wolf had larger dimensions, and the p4 had a relatively larger, more massive blade that enhanced slicing ability at the carnassial. the jaw of the dire wolf had a relatively broader and more massive temporalis muscle, able to generate slightly more bite force than the gray wolf. due to the jaw arrangement, the dire wolf had less temporalis leverage than the gray wolf at the lower carnassial (m1) and lower p4, but the functional significance of this is not known. the lower premolars were relatively slightly larger than those of the gray wolf, and the dire wolf m1 was much larger and had more shearing ability. the dire wolf canines had greater bending strength than those of living canids of equivalent size and were similar to those of hyenas and felids. all these differences indicate that the dire wolf was able to deliver stronger bites than the gray wolf, and with its flexible and more rounded canines was better adapted for struggling with its prey.
dire wolf