Dire wolves aren’t wolves at all

Dire wolves aren’t actually wolves but what they are might be even cooler.
Thanks to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for having us!
Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios
If you'd like to support the channel, head over to / eons and pledge for some cool rewards!
References:
www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
tarpits.org/research-collecti...
www.nature.com/articles/s4158...

[@eons]

We are excited to bring some of our short form videos to KZbin Shorts but if you are looking for longer-form content from the Eons team, we've just launched our podcast "Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time" where Blake, Michelle and Kallie will focus in on the greatest mysteries of natural history. Check it out in your preferred podcast app!

[@OokamiKageGinGetsu]

Okay, then how do you explain dire-werewolves?

[@snapperb7233]

I love the Shorts, BUT DON'T rename the Dire Wolves! There are many creatures named from similar creatures...duh! They look similar. Back in the day, DNA wasn't available, so the way they Look and Act, was how they were named.

[@frgwyn3760]

This is cool, unfortunately communism is still growing

[@spanqueluv9er]

This host is by far your worst. Make better choices please.

[@Ryan-li8qc]

The dead wolfs

[@definitelynotobama6851]

Dire wolf is way too badass a name to give up in the name of taxonomic perfectionism.

[@whatabouttheearth]

It's colloquial not taxonomic so you can keep it, just gotta keep it out of scientific binomial nomenclature.

[@jmahonatam]

"Dirus" from the scientific name sounds super badass on its own though.

[@EddyOver9000]

@@jmahonatam yuup I agree

[@88amona]

Keep Dire wolf. And introduce Dirus. Accept both names as identity. Badass status maintained 😎🤙

[@mihailmilev9909]

​@@whatabouttheearth yus

[@marquis2500]

Dire wolves, I now rename you “Retired Wolves”

[@lilbeanz19]

PLEASE💀😭🤣

[@edwardcamp3376]

🏆 You win!

[@-8_8-]

It's an ex wolf!

[@sethmiller2532]

Redired Wolves

[@santivargasf]

Is this a Jojo reference???!!!

[@grnmjolnir]

So they still are related to Grey wolves, just more distant cousins than we thought.

[@paulboccuti1141]

Yeah and they are examples of "Convergent Evolution" even though they are the same family. This chick doesn't know what she is talking about.

[@Spyder_King]

I wouldn't call it convergent evolution, they are just two distantly related wolves. Just like chimpanzees and us(we? Grammar are hard) are both distantly related Apes

[@paulboccuti1141]

@@Spyder_King I meant to say doesn't know what she's talking about.

[@Muralidharan001]

If you back every complex came from a single cell ancestor. If you go back 125 million years ago, all mammals are related.

[@connaeris8230]

​@@Spyder_Kingwell. You'd immediately be able to tell apart a chimpanzee from a human. Hell you'd even be easily able to tell apart a 1 million years old hominid from a human. This is convergent evolution.

[@LiaaaaaaaaAAAAAHH]

We should call them dire woofs.

[@therealantsquish7991]

Underrated comment

[@TommieTech]

​@@therealantsquish7991 Agreed

[@bluebird3042]

😂

[@Loverapten]

That’s perfect 😂

[@crinkly.love-stick]

A polecat isn't a cat, And a peacock mantis shrimp is none of those 3. I say, call them dire wolves!

[@dilophoraptordouble]

There's also maned wolves, and alot of "Dogs" which aren't either, its a common name in the end, Direwolf is fine

[@blahbleh5671]

peacock mantis shrimps look freaky, I see where the confusion came from when naming it

[@sirderpymister4883]

Bali sharks aren’t sharks. Guinea pigs aren’t pigs. Dragonflies aren’t flies. Comb jellyfish aren’t jellyfish. Bombay sucks aren’t ducks. Tarantula hawks aren’t hawks. Woolly bears aren’t bears. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you!

[@sirderpymister4883]

I meant “Bombay ducks,” but I’m too lazy to wait until I get home to edit my comment

[@MichelleC50]

You guys are fun! Love this chat!!

[@thefrantasticmissfine]

Direwolves, I re-dubb thee: Doggosaurus

[@notyou8535]

I re-dubb thee: Dire Reah

[@z.a.y.n-5053]

@@notyou8535 😂😂

[@naomigwolfe8112]

The lizard doggo hybrid XD

[@gianni.santi.]

Direasaurs

[@TheYeetedMeat]

The saurus suffix means “lizard” and should only be used for reptiles. Now, I see nothing wrong with Archaeodoggo

[@Fossil_Blade]

Dire Hounds, to keep the fact that they are a canid referenced in their name. For the same reason, we could also call them something like Cavewolves or CaveHounds.

[@Spyder_King]

We still call chimpanzees apes, so I don't understand her name change proposition

[@gammaraze]

Hounds are dogs, meaning they are domesticated. Dire wolves definitely weren't. Dire wolf is perfectly fine and far more correct than any species/type of dog could ever be.

[@rockjock3]

Science: Dire Wolves are NOT wolves. Dire Wolves in the Afterlife: Huh, this must be how Pluto feels?

[@theguru621]

I heard Pluto is actually considered a planet again

[@TearfulZorua]

​@@theguru621last I heard it was too small to be a regular planet and had am irregular orbit so was thus dubbed a dwarf planet. But this was a few years ago so... might be outdated at this point!

[@gammaraze]

That's probably EXACTLY how Pluto feels... All of Disney's other characters get to enjoy the human life being anthropomorphic, but not Pluto... he's stuck being a regular dog :(

[@Dresnat]

We all need to stop pretending and call them “Wargs” like Tolkien, haha

[@Abominatrix650]

No, we should save that for the creodonts. Maybe a new species of Hyaenodon or Sarkastodon or Megistotherium? Something large, monstrous and impressive

[@Dresnat]

@@Abominatrix650 You’re point, while I’m not sure I agree with yet, definitely has merit.

[@balbarith45]

I just posted a comment like this and not even 5 seconds later I saw this.

[@Dresnat]

@@balbarith45 Another man of culture!

[@JuniperofTheWolves]

You wouldn't be that far off, all though "pretending" isn't the right term

[@danielmcpherson3891]

Back in my day, we called them Worgs! We put goblins on 'em and it was GREAT!

[@beccawilson1368]

thas what i was thinking.

[@OokamiKageGinGetsu]

I love this answer. The problem is that worg, I believe, is either Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, or Proto-Indo-European for wolf.

[@NitroNinja324]

​@@OokamiKageGinGetsuAnd? I don't think there's a native tounge out there with a name for them, since they all died out in the Ice Age.

[@OokamiKageGinGetsu]

@@NitroNinja324 What do you mean by "native tongue?"

[@GTchum]

​@@OokamiKageGinGetsui believe he is talking about native americans tribes.

[@CrudCar]

You know what dire wolves are right? They're like wolves ... but dire.

[@ALLNIGHTRIOT]

Here in Canada

[@VenomSteak]

I don't care what we call them, I just want them back.

[@roddo1955]

Wolves:"Well, we're all you got! After all we do for you! We gave you dogs! What did the direwolf ever did for you, huh?"

[@VenomSteak]

@@roddo1955 three of their descendants live in my house, i think I got the wolves covered lol

[@TheDubVee]

Have you learned nothing from the catastrophic loss of life that occurred on Isla Nublar at Jurassic Park?!

[@VenomSteak]

@@TheDubVee nothing. Absolutely nothing. Bring the fur children to me, they will be as my own flesh and blood.

[@thestoopidiot870]

"Does anyone else feel like a chuckle, when I say the name... Biggus, Doggus?"

[@cuervoramos]

Incontinentia doggus might also fit

[@parkchimmin7913]

Monty Python?

[@IATLASI]

@@parkchimmin7913 "your fatha was a woman, who was he"

[@brendanmatthews8236]

I'm sowwy, do you find that.... wissable? *stawes in ancient Woman*

[@conq1273]

"Twow him to de gwound"

[@catastrophe__s]

“Dire misunderstanding”

[@mirzamay]

Lol

[@nobody-rw1fr]

Clap…clap….clap

[@tabitas.2719]

That one got me chuckling - thanks! :)

[@cheryl-lynnmehring8606]

Idk, I think their situation ended up pretty DIRE!!!🤣😂🤣

[@milankoly6648]

LOL

[@cancelledmoomin]

so basically they’re still wolves

[@manzac112]

Their closest living cousins are jackals.

[@senny-]

Nope. Kind of like coyotes, dingoes, African wild dogs, jackals, tanuki, etc. are to grey wolves, they're cousins, not ancestor-descendant. Unlike the other dogs I mentioned, dire wolves didn't survives. Btw domestic dogs are literally grey wolves. They just look different. Kind of like how humans look different frol each other.

[@Spyder_King]

Exactly

[@thewildcardperson]

​@@senny-interesting question if you genitically alter something enough at what point does it become its own species poodles pitbulls and wolves act look and even eat like differnt species

[@hrafnagu9243]

In my opinion yes, just as we call all the cats, including the big ones, cats even though they're more diverged from each other than gray wolves and dire wolves. Colloquially at least.

[@lydianicolenorwick125]

Call em what they are. Great big heckin' doggos.

[@theshadowsagas3617]

I vote we call them Wargs

[@palermus2]

I second!

[@coryman125]

Only reasonable answer imo!

[@OrangeDragonofDusk]

This needs more likes

[@Kryptonian42042]

Ding ding!! We have a winner 🏆

[@scientistx5717]

And so it shall be Who ever goes against this is a heretic!!!

[@5t3v3thevehicon9]

"dire wolves weren't actually wolves, but what they are might be even cooler" My dumbass: *gasp* THEY WERE WEREWOLVES?!

[@flipfilmproductions9472]

Omg and they were werewolves

[@tyrellthiel2201]

Steve, you're great

[@Lunam_D._Roger]

@@flipfilmproductions9472 *Sigh* I both hate and love you for the "and they were roommates" reference.

[@EdsonR13]

Well have you personally seen any werewolves since the extinction of the dire wolf

[@RyanTheKingOfOrion]

I AM NOT A WEREWOLF

[@leilaclarridge5807]

It seems that they were more closely related to African Jackals. If I had to rename them, I would probably just call them Giant Jackals. It's not exactly creative, but it describes them perfectly in my opinion.

[@the_real_rascal]

I love the Tar Pits. It's fascinating to watch them work and the skull wall is really cool.

[@Zarkoneous]

Finally a chance to name a species hell hound

[@aestheticswim3397]

Canis infernum, canis diabolica, canis daemonia

[@mushmush4980]

YES

[@Zarkoneous]

@@mushmush4980 this comment is almost a year old. And people are just barely starting to see my genius.

[@kotarojujo2737]

​@@aestheticswim3397 different genus, now its Aenocyon

[@The_Darke_Lorde]

YES

[@youremakingprogress144]

Instead of "dire wolves," we should just call them "moderately severe wolves." Or maybe Holocene megacanids.

[@TheNightracer]

"pretty bad dogs"

[@marquistf1996]

Def second one

[@GanjaCoyote]

Sounds legit

[@logosloki]

Holocene Megacanid would be an excellent band name.

[@HuckleberryHim]

Well technically wolves and some big domestic dogs (which are also wolves) would qualify as "Holocene megacanids" too

[@kurtsnyder4752]

Their existing after the extinction was indeed dire.

[@randomhippocat]

I've finally found the side of youtube shorts I want to be on, thanks for the info!!

[@blueberrymcphuckerson9821]

"You know what 'Dire Wolves' are, right? They're like regular wolves - but Dire."

[@Nihtgenge]

Was looking for this comment. 😂

[@renatoramirezreyes8450]

Waiting for the dire bear and dire snake video

[@mr_camillion1955]

They sure were in a dire situation

[@philinator71]

It seems the Dire Wolves fell into a dire situation.

[@uncleartax]

🥁 🥁 📀

[@Spyder_King]

I hate you 😂

[@Hunnid24]

@@uncleartax😂😂

[@sarahchristine2345]

Ba dum dum…tssss Dang, @uncleartax beat me to it 😂😂😂

[@majestichowler2254]

I would like to know what their next closest living relative is before I go completely renaming an entire extinct species

[@wvecst]

As a kid those displays were so dope, almost felt like you were genuinely peering into the past

[@saikanji9570]

Since they aren't wolves, I elect to call them "Big Woofs"

[@marthabuchert8271]

I suggest either that or ‘Murder Puppies’

[@anerdwithglasses7429]

Big Woofs it is 🤓

[@cherrydragon3120]

Humongus doggus??

[@angela.luntian]

Dire hounds

[@teamzoey3923]

call dem Stark Snowoof

[@missbraindamage]

I never knew dire wolves were actually real... this whole time I thought they were a fantasy animal.

[@baddog9320]

No they were very real. But they were not in the typical fantasy place of Europe. For that matter. European wolves were smaller then grey wolves. As are Asian wolves. See even back then America was doing things bigger.

[@OakenTome]

@@baddog9320 This is an odd place to insert your national pride, but go off I guess

[@B-Side.72]

@@baddog9320 To be fair, America was a much better habitat for megafauna, or psuedo megafauna. Hence why Bison and Buffalo are still there. Creatures in America didn't encounter humans for a LONG time, so they weren't hunted to extinction as soon as others, and thus evolved to be bigger and meaner because they could, and had to.

[@baddog9320]

@@B-Side.72 i see what you are saying. But its debated how long humans have been in North America and South America. And the truth is. Unless time travel is made. We will never know in our life times. It weird because there are groups that go way out of their way to disprove human have been in the Americas longer then Xxxxx amount of years.

[@B-Side.72]

@@baddog9320 Well, humans in America also frequently got their asses kicked by unreasonably large animals lol. In Eurasia humans had access to farm animals and lots of agriculture, which helped them advance a lot. In America you got 90% walking death animals and like... A Llama. Ya know?

[@ARC117Studios]

So you're saying a Dire Wolf is a distant cousin of the Wolf...almost if it's, you know, a Wolf.

[@KevintheScienceNerd]

First they came for Pluto and I was silent because I was not a planet. Then they came for dire wolves...

[@paillette2010]

“Things Are Really Bad” wolves

[@michaireneuszjakubowski5289]

That's pretty pessimistic still. I propose "The Situation Could Certainly Improve" wolves.

[@paillette2010]

@@michaireneuszjakubowski5289 but they didn’t… for them.

[@peanutbutter6720]

@@paillette2010 yeah, but it’s the thought that counts

[@erikhuerta2759]

We can call them diregmorks

[@AccidentalNinja]

The "in a bit of a pickle" canids.

[@SlayerOfTheDamned]

“Dire Consequences” should be the new name since that what you would be when confronting a pack of them

[@electrosharktv4271]

Yes!

[@entity107]

Get this man a petition

[@get_more_bald]

we should call them Dire Funny Dogs

[@TheLaughingMan2458]

"My watch has ended" -Ghost Stark

[@thomashughes_teh]

Naming: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[@manzac112]

I don't care because we're going to fix it anyway.

[@TheMoose126]

What for? Cuz some palaeontologist is t comfortable with it? Keep the name. It sounds better than Terminator Pig.

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

A name that identifies something incorrectly is broken. Saber-tooth tiger was changed to saber-tooth cat for such reason too

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

@@manzac112 lol but wolverines aren't wolves either but they get to keep their name

[@owo4353]

“Dire wolves aren’t actually wolves they’re actually wolves”

[@taysaav4704]

Right 😂

[@rexxbare9255]

That’s what I got from this too

[@sarahmcglasson3064]

@@rexxbare9255 sad to see such poor comprehension skills

[@renatobeanto]

@@sarahmcglasson3064 Grey wolves aren't the only wolf species, there's African wolves, and Ethiopian wolves. And those aren't the same species. Saying dire wolves arent wolves is like saying spider monkeys aren't monkeys because they're not closely related to macaque monkeys. Humans are still apes, and so are chimps, that sorta thing is my argument for why dire wolves are a type of wolf.

[@jacquestuber628]

​@@sarahmcglasson3064 sad to see a Karen like you come in and be condescending to everyone.

[@RomanWhite-ve9lz]

All this makes so much sense now

[@evilded2]

The noise every time they cut is killing me

[@frosmane9041]

we should call them the "Dark Lord's Puppies of Annihilation"

[@darklordsnuggles6159]

I agree with this comment

[@alexanderkarvos6728]

Sold! *Stamp*

[@Parker_and_Dj]

Yes

[@rl9217]

“What should we rename dire wolves?” “Steroid Foxes.”

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

Doped Up Doggos

[@hyenaloaf1858]

More like beefy jackals

[@angelastone4806]

“Second place winner to evolution”

[@eazytrey2573]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@liathtgodd1663]

This is the best one so far lol

[@justinmorgan7851]

"Canis Schwarzeneggeris"

[@mikeoh6656]

The north remembers, sir davos and the mummers farce is almost at an end.

[@procrastinator41]

“Colossal Fennec”

[@gibranhenriquedesouza2843]

Gigantamax Eevee.

[@mathiastwp]

Dire volvoes

[@MortyMortyMorty]

Thats what she said 😏

[@RorikH]

Greater Greater Greater Chihuahua

[@HuckleberryHim]

Fennec foxes are way more distant to dire wolves than wolves are, at that point call it Titanic Tanuki.

[@frost.0707]

Lets keep the name. Direwolf is a great name.

[@Arthera0]

if a frog can be named a mountain chicken than dire wolves can definitely keep their names.

[@albatross1688]

I agree. Horseshoe crabs aren't crabs either, and I don't think we're renaming those. Direwolves are canids so they're at least in the same family as wolves even if they aren't direct ancestors.

[@KhanMann66]

Yeah too much of a hassle.

[@simong9067]

It is a great name - like a wolf, but dire.

[@quintongordon6024]

Agreed

[@kennethoverton2969]

I can sleep good at night now that I have this knowledge

[@bizzarebear]

I vote to name it "Heckin huge doggo"

[@lightweight2467]

"The Dire Wolf is a sigil of your house "

[@TillerOG]

W reference

[@321girlwantstohavefun]

Finally

[@Galland780]

What are you referencing? It sounds badass.

[@lightweight2467]

​@@Galland780Game of thrones

[@Galland780]

@@lightweight2467 thanks brother

[@thebean3579]

Nah name it “Dog of unusual size” Edit: Wow, thanks for all the likes this is my first comment to ever kinda blow up

[@user-gh1ql5uc8t]

I see what you did there, nice.

[@RUFFDRAFTCA]

BEWARE THE D.O.U.S.!! 💀 lolol

[@realrealwarpet]

Doggos of unusual size? I dont think they exist.

[@dinodude7290]

“What da dog doin?” “Getting bigger”

[@apersonontheinternet2141]

A comically large dog

[@jacobniemann4756]

Awesome info I hadn't heard about this change yet... However I doubt they will change the common name of the Dire Wolf. Especially when you consider that Megalania for example was initially described as its own new genus of reptile, but paleontologists eventually came to the conclusion that Megalania was a member of monitor family "Varanus" and related to the Perenti. Upon this discovery they changed the species name from "Megalania priscus" to "Varanus priscus" but they left its common name as Megalania rather than coming up with a new name as people were already familiar with the name Megalania. So with the Dire wolf Situation they'll probably change the species name, but I doubt it'll stop being called the Dire Wolf because it is an even more publicly known name than the Megalania hence why I used the Megalania as my example.

[@borshu4938]

"there like wolves but dire"

[@PinePrince]

Lol

[@sm79165]

they were in dire need of adaptation to survive... WERE

[@kayburcky7146]

You know what a direbear is right?

[@smk666]

+1 for Stick of Truth reference.

[@mestrepanda]

I was today years old when I learned that dire wolves were an actual species and not just a typical RPG enemy, thank you :)

[@jackwilliamswilson3391]

Yep.... 🙂

[@RebeckadV]

Literally how haha

[@sokka780]

DND lol

[@botezsimp5808]

Right? I thought Dire Wolves were fan fiction.

[@notzack6438]

Lmao true

[@kudrzyk]

*distant crab laughter*

[@Emrson3698]

Let’s call them the Killy big dogs

[@Florkl]

Eh, we have plenty of animal names based off of physiological, rather than genetic taxonomy (red panda, flying fox, glass snake, etc.). I see no reason to change the name Dire Wolf given the mental image of the animal isn’t particularly inaccurate outside of a genetic level.

[@cosmopoiesecriandomundos7446]

Even genetically it is still rather accurate. They are extremelly close to grey wolves, about as much as they are to mountain wolves and golden wolves. So many wolf species, he can't really be anything else

[@thewildcardperson]

@@cosmopoiesecriandomundos7446 what's a golden wolf

[@rachelfox8108]

You mean Giant Panda. Giant Pandas were named after Red Pandas, not the other way around.

[@ThePotatoSapien]

We call maned “wolves” wolves, even though they really look more like foxes than wolves. Just make sure the general public knows that dire wolves are wolves just as much as saber-toothed tigers are tigers. And yes I know you can call them saber toothed cats, but a lot of people still call them tigers, and it was just an example.

[@whatabouttheearth]

Those are not taxonomic names, they're colloquial names. Taxonomy uses binomial nomenclature (genus and species) WOLVES and Dire "wolves" are the same type of "Canids", "Canids" are Family Canidae. And they share the same Subfamily (Caninae), Tribe (Canini), and subtribe (Canina). WOLVES are genus Canis (Canis lupus) and Dire "wolf" is genus Aenocyon (Aenocyon dirus rectas (;) both subtribe Canina. Genus Pan and Genus Homo share the Tribe of Hominini, but genus Homo is subtribe Hominina Family: Canidae Subfamily: Caninae Tribe: Canini Subtribe: Canina Family: Hominidae Subfamily: Homininae Tribe: Hominini See the pattern? Family-nidae/Subfamily-ninae/Tribe-nini/Subtribe-nina.

[@juliafollette4878]

we should call them dire cats just to mix things up a little

[@Complex_assault]

I believe those are called cheetahs

[@stevemonkey6666]

You haven't seen my kitty when he's angry. That's a real dire cat. 😁

[@juanjoyaborja.3054]

Cheetahs. They’re in a dire situation, are literally cats, and evolved in North America, just like the dire wolf.

[@williamjordan5554]

That's better name for hyenas, which aren't canids.

[@chubibi06]

why not "cat wolves" then ? to mix things up a lot

[@paulprovenzano3755]

I’d suggest that we call them ‘Uncle Paulie,’ but that’s already taken.

[@EllesGhost13]

Convergent evolution is generally when similar traits evolve that weren't present in their shared ancestors

[@YouEra]

Wargs and Biggus Dogus were the best I found by our awesome community. I say we continue to call them Dire Wolves

[@fweetfweet6996]

yo velma left the gang and became a biologist

[@Keepit10011]

We cant really ignore there precurser ancestor that was almost a wolf. I give you Doggosaurus

[@WizardMathis]

All I know is now I have to stop putting wolves and dire wolves together in my D&D encounters.

[@netherwalker1762]

Not necessarily, there are plenty of examples of cross species co-op in nature, plus, its magic numbers game. Who's to say that that lineage isn't different from ours?

[@nanochad2979]

"slightly important wolves"

[@SMILESZ2]

That's awesome 😂😂

[@teovu5557]

i call them wolfoids because they "resemble wolves". lol

[@imcharming4808]

Nerd

[@BuddyWhite616]

Like opioids. love it

[@search895]

That would apply to coyotes, jackals and dogs too.

[@cobracommander6606]

They have Witchalok Blades!

[@teovu5557]

@@busimagen "Oid" is a greek suffix meaning to resemble or look like so I dont see a problem at all. But to each their own i guess. lol ( I do like the term Lykoids though, sounds more legit)

[@theboogieman4362]

Ah, the way you just explained it, they are kind of still wolves

[@samman205]

Canis Magnum “big pupper”

[@Bolt99K]

Its too bad you didn’t have a thylacine skull to show too, because they also have extremely canine like skulls despite being marsupials and not even remotely close to canines evolutionarily. Perfect example of convergent evolution.

[@SimonClarkstone]

They also win the award for "animal that sounds most like an amino acid".

[@HuckleberryHim]

I believe this is at the museum they have for the La Brea Tar Pits, in LA. So they probably only have the Late Pleistocene fauna of California, which is still A LOT of extinct species though

[@uthopia27]

Wait they are marsupial ?

[@ZebraLuv]

Ah yes. The Tasmanian tigers that look like wild dogs but are related to kangaroos. Nature just throws everything in a pot and calls it a stew.

[@gabrielsatter]

This is my issue with this clip. Taz tigers are an example of convergent evolution alongside canids. Different lines in the canid family both looking like what we think of as wolves doesn't really fit that bill.

[@ezranian]

I mean, there’s a lot of things called “wolves” that aren’t- maned wolves and aardwolves for examples

[@shannarafryer3111]

What’s a aardwolf

[@gregorysaugustine5236]

@@shannarafryer3111"an" aardwolf is a species of hyena. They primarily eat insects like termites.

[@syafiqjabar]

@@gregorysaugustine5236 Not just any hyena. They are the last of a group of hyenas that resembled canids. The others were outcompeted by actual canids but the aardwolf survived by becoming specialist insectivores.

[@anoniemonbekenden8159]

Wolf of wall street also wasnt an actual wolf, I heard

[@leelaughs]

Wolverines 😅

[@campate1902]

I’m partial to the “Warg” idea

[@MrHewes44]

“The died out wolves”💀

[@dapeach06]

We still call Maned Wolves wolves, despite me writing to the IUCN to classify them as stilt foxes, of foxy giraffes!

[@lunarose2529]

Foxy giraffes? Really?

[@MrSockez]

"Do you know what a dire wolf is? It's like a regular wolf...... but dire..." - Prince of Canada

[@juanobregon8075]

Yes

[@kanamexxyuki]

Hazah a lad of quality! 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ATemplarIGuess]

Dire wolves are wolves that developed dire aids

[@MrSatanSir666]

Lmaoooooo not the dire aids

[@mihajlo6489]

The basilosaurus was first thought to be a reptile, from where it got its name. Then it was discovered that it was most likely a whale, a completely different type of animal. Yet the name stuck

[@Idontwantafuckinghandle588]

“Don’t murder me” by the Grateful Dead Dire wolf stands, can’t be changed

[@Tahoza]

I don't know what we should call them but I can at least agree that their situation was... dire.

[@kailash4799]

Take my upvote and go extinct please!

[@justjess6636]

Love it!

[@MollyHJohns]

Aye cheers

[@jacobplayer2709]

Dire Doggo Filling a heckin’ niche

[@darutucaruti9980]

Redditor

[@hamsack981]

They are so pretty. Their outfits are always on point.

[@luiscortez9229]

One of my eyes gets smaller too, everytime I take pictures

[@roosjen]

If you had asked 12000 years ago, I’d say call them Dire Straits. Now, I’d say Liar Wolves since they aren’t actually Wolves anymore?

[@AUSSIETAIPAN]

Straits is probably offensive to certain groups now. Better call them Dire heterosexual cis individuals.

[@omnijack]

@@AUSSIETAIPAN "strait" is not the same word as "straight"

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Take my like and go to your room and think about what you've done...

[@roosjen]

@@AUSSIETAIPAN as someone else commented, it’s strait and not straight, but either way, I was referring to the meaning ‘being in dire straits’, as in being in a difficult situation. If I missed a meaning and it also refers to something that is not acceptable in today’s language (and/or shouldn’t have been acceptable before either), I apologize!

[@inigo13m47]

@@roosjen nah u didn't miss anything, they were just attempting to take a jab at trans people and failing

[@MindLaboratory]

How about "Died wolves"

[@emanuel6233]

Nice

[@kevintipcorn6787]

deeply underrated comment

[@pois1x17]

Wouldn’t it be “Died Not-Quite-Wolves”

[@Qiunell]

💀

[@williamrayburn5314]

Died-in-wolves? Or Dyed-in-the-woolves? Maybe the 2nd one....eh you choose. 🐺😊

[@skylergould8859]

If you call horseshoe crabs “crabs” than dire wolves are ok.

[@skylergould8859]

.

[@ArtlyssaG]

Omg I had no idea they were that big that is terrifying

[@truvc]

I think we should call them wolfy mcwolf-faces

[@SeventeenGhost]

We should keep the Dire tho. DireWolfy McWolf-Direface

[@itrthho]

I was waiting for that

[@truvc]

@seventeenghost I like that point but maybe Direwolf Mcdirewolf-face. Sounds appropriately beautiful for such elegant creatures

[@RailfoxStudios]

“Should we rename dire wolves? If so, what should we call them?” Extinct :)

[@jacobhealy8376]

nope dont rename them

[@ezekielbreedlove7698]

The name shall remain Dire Wolf; Just like when anyone sees a bison they say oh look a Buffalo!

[@archiesouth2630]

In Harry Potter Professor Lupin is literally named after a plant associated with wolves bc he’s a werewolf

[@Kloxbyn]

New dire wolf name: Snootles Giganticus

[@OziumG]

That wall of skulls goes hard ngl

[@genevaconventionsviolator3994]

I like the naming philosophy utilized when naming "Hell Pigs" Maybe we can call them "Demon Raccoons" or something

[@capncoop]

"...as we are related to chimpanzees" So pretty close

[@johnhurley8918]

Well considering they're still k9's, I feel like this is splitting hairs.

[@radagastbrown9001]

Yup

[@radagastbrown9001]

Click bait

[@Wolfie54545]

Any dog in the genus “Canis” are true wolves. We thought dire wolves were Canis Dirus. But that is no longer true, they are Aenocyon Dirus. Since they are no longer in the genus Canis they are not true wolves. But they are still dogs because they are in the family Canidae.

[@g.6991]

Welcome to the world of science?

[@thenoxxyboy]

@@Wolfie54545 Dire Dog then come on, it's easy

[@Vhailor_Mithras]

You ever heard of a Dire Wolf? They're like regular wolves, but Dire.

[@TBrewer64]

"Don't murder me..."

[@UltimateisReady]

They should be called "Blockbuster Wolves" because they couldn't adapt to change.

[@netherwalker1762]

Ouch.

[@mrchimpinski1411]

Oooof

[@x3woots]

Not really couldnt. Blockbuster adapted, just far too slowly

[@racingraptor4758]

More like Disney wolves

[@MrDrokkul]

"You know what dire wolves are, don't you? There like wolves...except more dire."

[@MountainLWolf]

They were related at some point so good enough.

[@HubbieRobbie]

That’s my profile picture!!!! I’ve been there!!!!

[@DevouredByADream]

I don't think we need to rename them lol. The name fits them, if you look at the meaning.