Minnesota’s Ice Age Mystery: Were Dire Wolves Here?

In case you missed the news yesterday, scientists were able to bring back the Dire Wolf from extinction. It's been roughly 13,000 years since they last roamed the earth. Hey, what could possibly go wrong from bringing back a larger, stronger, and more powerful predator?

This got me thinking, though: Where did dire wolves live? If we hopped in a time machine and went back 20,000 years, would we have them here in Minnesota?

Dire Wolves Fossils Found Across North America

Dire wolf fossils have been found in neighboring states like Iowa, Nebraska, and both North and South Dakota.

There hasn't been direct fossil evidence found in Minnesota - Yet!

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Dire Wolves Very Likely Lived In Minnesota

Just because there hasn't been fossil evidence found yet, it doesn't mean that dire wolves didn't exist in parts of Minnesota. In fact, it's likely they did because of the types of animals we would have in the region, such as buffalo and wild horses. No evidence has been found yet.

Read More: Minnesota Says Goodbye To Holiday Gas Stations

It's Unlikely The Further North You Go

Far Northern Minnesota and Canada were glacial areas at the time that dire wolves went extinct. That means it's unlikely they would have inhabited the harshly cold region, especially with limited prey for food sources.

Biggest Dire Wolf Fossil Evidence - Urban Los Angeles

This is a crazy fact. The La Brea Tar Pits in urban LA, California, has the most dire wolf fossils in North America. They've been able to lead the way with studies on dire wolves because of all their samples, among other animals from the ice age.