What is the binomial name of the extinct Falkland Islands wolf?

The binomial name of the extinct Falkland Islands wolf is Dusicyon australis. Although it is commonly called a wolf or warrah, it was a distinct South American canid rather than a member of the modern wolf species Canis lupus.

The Falkland Islands wolf was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands, occurring on both East and West Falkland. Its scientific name places it in the genus Dusicyon, a lineage separate from the genera Canis and Lycalopex. The species became extinct in 1876, after settlement, livestock expansion, and persecution changed conditions on the islands.

Genetic research has made the animal especially interesting. Its closest living relative is the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, while its closest mainland relative was the extinct Dusicyon avus. DNA studies suggest the Falkland Islands population separated from its mainland ancestor roughly 16,000 years ago.

The word “wolf” can mislead quiz-takers: the warrah was wolf-like in appearance and ecology, but taxonomically it was a unique island canid.