Extinct species of canine mammal The dire wolf is an extinct species of canine which was native to the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. The species was named in 1858, four years after the first specimen had been found. Two subspecies are proposed, Aenocyon dirus guildayi and Aenocyon dirus dirus, but this assignment has been recently considered questionable. The largest collection of its fossils has been obtained from the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Wikipedia's most-read article for 2 days in a row: 1,446,243 views in all, peaking at 993,364 on April 8, 2025. Tue, Apr 8: 993,364 views Wed, Apr 9: 452,879 views Wiki link