i give you Canis dirus, or the now-extinct dire wolf. dire wolves weren't much bigger than grey wolves, but they're bulkier. their legs are proportionally shorter and thicker. while their head was much wider, they had a smaller braincase than a grey wolf. they were likely much stronger (muscle attachment locations on the bones suggest this). they were most likely hunting other ice age megafauna: elk, camels, bison, horses, etc. they would be in competition with sabertooth cats, short-faced bears and american lions. their range was mostly across north america (my research didnt suggest theyd been found elsewhere). they went extinct around 10,000 years ago. no one seems to know that dire wolves were real, and not some cheap rpg knock-off monster. i shall name him horns-of-the-moon, and he shall be my moon and bite your face off. ^___^ art and character (c) me (dear lord i made a wolf character. shoot me for unoriginality)