FfFfFfFF 58,127 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Even before appearing as fictional pets in the television series Game of Thrones, dire wolves had long captured imaginations. Weighing around 150 pounds, the creatures were larger than the heaviest of today’s gray wolves. They roamed throughout large swaths of the Americas and preyed on now extinct megafauna, such as Ice Age horses and ground sloths. In the first study of its kind, researchers have analyzed several full genomes for these creatures, revealing a few surprises. Rather than sharing close genetic ties with the gray wolf (Canis lupus), as was expected from their resemblance, the dire wolves were evolutionarily distant cousins, long isolated in the Americas. “Dire wolves and gray wolves look super similar morphologically, but the genetics say they are not related closely in any way,” explains Angela Perri, an archaeologist at Durham University. The new findings clarify relationships among members of the dog family, placing dire wolves (Canis dirus) in a New World lineage that split from the gray wolf's ancestors some 5.5 million years ago, while further deepening the mystery around the dire wolf’s evolution and eventual extinction. “The question now becomes: Is their extinction related to climatic and environmental change, or did humans and potentially other wolves and dogs and [diseases] coming in assist in pushing them out?” Perri says. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2021/01/dire-wolf-dna-study-reveals-surprises/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bionic 50,111 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Direwolves took one look at Europe and thought "nope, I'm good" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woolfsmck 2,763 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 47 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said: Even before appearing as fictional pets in the television series Game of Thrones, dire wolves had long captured imaginations. Weighing around 150 pounds, the creatures were larger than the heaviest of today’s gray wolves. They roamed throughout large swaths of the Americas and preyed on now extinct megafauna, such as Ice Age horses and ground sloths. In the first study of its kind, researchers have analyzed several full genomes for these creatures, revealing a few surprises. Rather than sharing close genetic ties with the gray wolf (Canis lupus), as was expected from their resemblance, the dire wolves were evolutionarily distant cousins, long isolated in the Americas. “Dire wolves and gray wolves look super similar morphologically, but the genetics say they are not related closely in any way,” explains Angela Perri, an archaeologist at Durham University. The new findings clarify relationships among members of the dog family, placing dire wolves (Canis dirus) in a New World lineage that split from the gray wolf's ancestors some 5.5 million years ago, while further deepening the mystery around the dire wolf’s evolution and eventual extinction. “The question now becomes: Is their extinction related to climatic and environmental change, or did humans and potentially other wolves and dogs and [diseases] coming in assist in pushing them out?” Perri says. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2021/01/dire-wolf-dna-study-reveals-surprises/ The canis Specie is very adaptable .. The large number of domesticated breeds is testimate ... I'm sure that the Dire and Grey wolf's adapted to the conditions they lived in...hence their split ... like a cat in a sil, I observe life, moving and still. My words give a clue,look inside to see whats true Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FfFfFfFF 58,127 Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 6 minutes ago, Woolfsmck said: The canis Specie is very adaptable .. The large number of domesticated breeds is testimate ... I'm sure that the Dire and Grey wolf's adapted to the conditions they lived in...hence their split ... Dog brees a bit different because they are man-made but I agree. They are very adaptable and live in all sorts of ecosystems across many continents. For instance right now the jackal is even extending its normal territory and started to be seen in Europe more often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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