{"product_id":"dire-wolf-jaw-fossil","title":"Dire Wolf Jaw Fragment - Authentic Pleistocene Fossil Specimen","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA Dire Wolf Jaw Fossil From Pleistocene Florida\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eDire Wolf jaw fossil\u003c\/strong\u003e is a real fragment of Aenocyon dirus, an Ice Age predator formerly Canis dirus. It was found on private land in Florida and measures about 5 mm. It sits in an acrylic jar inside a glass-topped riker case.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSKU:\u003c\/strong\u003e 80-112-0119-201-36\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dire Wolf jaw fossil, a jaw fragment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Florida, private land\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpecimen size:\u003c\/strong\u003e About 5 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ice Age wolf fossil from the late Pleistocene\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDisplay:\u003c\/strong\u003e Acrylic jar in glass-topped riker case, 4 in x 3 in x 1 in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNot Quite a Giant Wolf\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph Leidy described the species in 1854 from remains found beside the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. He named it Canis dirus. A 2021 genome study moved it into its own genus, Aenocyon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts closest living relatives are African jackals, not the gray wolf. Its range stretched from Alaska to Bolivia. Any Aenocyon dirus fossil comes from a lineage that is now extinct.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHunters of the Pleistocene\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDire wolves hunted large Ice Age mammals in packs. At the La Brea Tar Pits they are the most common mammal, with more than 4,000 specimens. They lived in Los Angeles between 50,000 and 13,000 years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Dire Wolf jaw fossil comes from a Florida savannah rich in large mammals. The species disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene. Rapid climate change was a major factor, and human arrival may have added pressure on shared prey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse more Pleistocene predator fossil pieces in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/collections\/era-prehistoric-art-collection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePrehistoric Collection\u003c\/a\u003e and our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/collections\/natural-history-collection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eNatural History Collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDisplay and Care\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep the Dire Wolf jaw fossil case away from direct sun. Treat this Ice Age wolf fossil gently, and open the jar only over a soft surface. The card names the Aenocyon dirus fossil and acts as your certificate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Ice Age\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pleistocene epoch ended about 11,700 years ago. Its cold cycles shaped the animals we now know only from fossils. Dire wolves, mammoths, and saber-toothed cats all vanished as those cycles ended. A Pleistocene predator fossil like this is a small reminder of that world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFor More Reading from the Web\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore the dire wolf story from the Tar Pits. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/live-nhm.nhmlac.org\/stories\/dire-wolf-ice-age-angeleno\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Dire Wolf: An Ice Age Angeleno - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Mini Museum","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43171392422001,"sku":"80-112-0119-201-36","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/0537\/files\/add-on-direwolf-01-1000.jpg?v=1777668471","url":"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/products\/dire-wolf-jaw-fossil","provider":"Museumize.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}