direwolf

The direwolf (Canis dirus) is an extinct species of large canid that inhabited North America during the Late Pleistocene. It was among the largest wolves in the genus Canis, with a robust skeleton and strong dentition suggesting adaptation to hunting large prey.

Canis dirus was described by Joseph Leidy in 1859. It belongs to the genus Canis, closely related to the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Fossil remains indicate a more massive skull and broader jaws than those of modern wolves.

Fossils are widespread across North America, with notable remains from sites such as the La Brea Tar Pits in California. The species lived from about 125,000 to 9,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene. It likely occupied the role of a top predator or specialized hunter of large herbivores such as horses, bison, and camels. The exact hunting behavior is debated, but its large teeth and powerful bite suggest capacity to take down sizable prey or scavenge from carcasses. Extinction occurred near the end of the last Ice Age, with multiple contributing factors including climate change, ecological shifts, and possibly human pressure.

In popular culture, the direwolf name is widely used for a fictional large wolf in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. In these works, direwolves are associated with House Stark and are depicted as formidable, intelligent companions. They are a fictional construct, not a real species.