Summary:
- Scientists have discovered that the dire wolf, a large predator that lived during the Pleistocene era, is not actually the same species as the modern gray wolf.
- Genetic analysis has shown that the dire wolf is a distinct species that went extinct around 13,000 years ago, and is not closely related to any living wolf species.
- While it is not possible to bring the dire wolf back from extinction, researchers are studying the genetic differences between dire wolves and gray wolves to better understand the evolution of canids.