Aenocyon dirus (Leidy, 1858:21)
Dire wolf
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Canis dirus Leidy, 1858; Canis ayersi Sellards, 1916; Aenocyon ayersi Sellards, 1916; Canis indianensis (author?, year?); Canis mississippiensis (author?, year?)
Kurten (1984) split C. dirus into two subspecies based upon limb and tooth proportions: C. d. guildayi and the nominate C. d. dirus.
Conservation Status
Extinct.
Last Record: 8200 ± 260 BP (Hester, 1960); 9850 ± 550 BP (Dundas, 1999)
Distribution
The Americas (from Canada south to Bolivia)
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
UF/FGS 280 (holotype of Canis ayersi)
LACMHCPP 8650 (de Latorre, 2022:60)
LACMHCPP 8854 (de Latorre, 2022:60)
LACMHCPP 9009 (de Latorre, 2022:60)
UCMP 999999 (de Latorre, 2022:60)
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Leidy, J. (1858). Notice of remains of extinct vertebrata, from the Valley of the Niobrara River, collected during the Exploring Expedition of 1857, in Nebraska, under the command of Lieut. G. K. Warren, U. S. Top. Eng., by Dr. F. V. Hayden, Geologist to the Expedition, Proceedings. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 10: 21.
Other references:
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