Tar Pit Fossil Dire Wolf Skull Element

This is a genuine skull element from a Dire Wolf (Aenocyon dirus), the zygomatic process of the squamosal, dating to the Late Pleistocene, and was recovered from Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, California, in 1971. This part of the skull forms the back of the cheekbone arch, which anchored the powerful jaw muscles that gave dire wolves their strong bite. The bone is a deep, nearly black color from the natural asphalt.

Presented in a 5" × 7.5" display case.

Dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus) were formidable predators of the Pleistocene epoch, roaming North America in packs. Rancho La Brea has produced more dire wolf fossils than any other site in the world, with remains of over 4,000 individuals recovered from its asphalt seeps. These wolves were likely drawn in while hunting animals already trapped in the sticky asphalt, which then preserved their remains for tens of thousands of years. This makes the dire wolf one of the most iconic and extensively studied Ice Age carnivores.

Obtaining tar pit fossils is nearly impossible today, unless from an old collection or from private property.