In 1918, which genus did Merriam propose for the dire wolf?

In 1918, Merriam proposed the genus Aenocyon for the dire wolf.

Paleontologist John Campbell Merriam reached this proposal after studying numerous large-wolf fossils from the Rancho La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. He consolidated specimens under the species name Canis dirus, which had been established by Joseph Leidy in 1858, but argued that the animal was distinct enough from living Canis wolves to deserve its own genus.

Merriam formed Aenocyon from Greek roots commonly translated as “terrible dog” or “dreadful dog.” His proposed combination was Aenocyon dirus. The classification was controversial and did not become universally accepted: later researchers often returned the dire wolf to Canis, treating Aenocyon as a synonym.

Modern genetic work has revived interest in Merriam’s idea. A 2021 DNA study found that dire wolves represented a deeply divergent lineage rather than a close branch of modern gray wolves, supporting recognition of Aenocyon as a separate genus. Thus Canis is historically common, but Aenocyon is the answer to Merriam’s 1918 proposal.