Friday, July 22, 2011

Dire Wolf: Wonder


Found throughout North and South America, Dire Wolf (Canis dirus) lived for nearly two million years during the Pleistocene Epoch.  He was named “dire” because of the massive size of his jaws that were found.  In fact, his thick teeth could crunch through bones.
            Although Dire Wolf lived everywhere, the greatest numbers of his fossils were found in the California tar pits.  As an opportunistic hunter, Dire Wolf was attracted to the Animals trapped there.  From this fossil record, scientists constructed his life as a hunter and scavenger.  Stocky Dire Wolf lived in packs and hunted slower moving prey.  He also scavenged much like today’s Hyenas.  (However, the scientists are still unsure about his main source of prey.)
            Then Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) and later humans arrived from Eurasia.  Dire Wolf found Himself in competition with these two new arrivals for the Megafauna that lived in North and South America.  As the larger Animals died out, for a variety of reasons, Dire Wolf could not keep up with the smaller and swifter prey.  Eventually He went extinct, however his bones remain to remind us of our world at another time.
            Come enter this world of Dire Wolf and be amazed with wonder.  He lives in a rich world of Giant Beavers, car-sized Armadillos (Glyptodon), Smilodons (Saber-tooth Cat), Giant Ground Sloths (Megatherium), Giant Birds, and other Animals.  What a full and amazing world this is, with Animals of our wild imaginations who actually existed.
            “Come enter my magical world”, Dire Wolf calls to us.  Ride on his back and explore its wonders.  Let Dire Wolf be your guide.
            By exploring his world, Dire Wolf guides you to experience wonder.  Although his world does not exist now, it did at one time.  Travel back in your imagination to this time of giants and other fantastic Animals.  Imagine the improbable and be in awe that it did exist.  Let Dire Wolf take you there and be prepared to be amazed.  Carry your wonder for life back with you when you return.
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