Update on Dire wolf taxonomy
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:23 am
Advance interview concerning an upcoming paper. Turns out they've finally extracted dire wolf DNA (previously impossible due to tar contamination):
Previously, it had been popularly thought that dire wolves were firmly within the Canina clade (wolf-like canids) of the genus Canis. Now, it appears, they were even more distantly related to grey wolves than the black-backed and side-striped jackals are, both of which aren't even considered part of the genus Canis anymore.
So, basically prepare yourselves to get used to the binomial name Aenocyon dirus, and reconstructions showing them as a scaled-up version of an African jackal rather than an arctic wolf on steroids.
Previously, it had been popularly thought that dire wolves were firmly within the Canina clade (wolf-like canids) of the genus Canis. Now, it appears, they were even more distantly related to grey wolves than the black-backed and side-striped jackals are, both of which aren't even considered part of the genus Canis anymore.
So, basically prepare yourselves to get used to the binomial name Aenocyon dirus, and reconstructions showing them as a scaled-up version of an African jackal rather than an arctic wolf on steroids.