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Smilesaurus

A large gorgonopsian, from the Late Permian period, with a skull up to 31 cm (12 in) long, is characterized by extremely long canines, proportionally the longest of any gorgonopsian. Unlike other gorgonopsians, Smilesaurus may have been a true saber-toothed predator, using tactics similar to those of saber-toothed cats.

sweet beast

welcome to the holocene little one, we’ve waited so long for you

Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus), family Lorisidae, endemic to Sri Lanka

ENDANGERED.

FIRST-EVER VIDEO EVIDENCE CONFIRMS HEADBUTTING IN SPERM WHALES

Researchers have documented sperm whales headbutting each other using drone footage, confirming a behavior long speculated about from 19th-century whaling accounts. The study recorded three observations in the Azores and Balearic Islands where sub-adult whales collided at speeds up to 3.6 m/s, generating forces of approximately 200 kN. The individuals involved were younger whales, not the massive adult males previously hypothesized to engage in such contests.

These findings challenge previous skepticism that headbutting would risk damaging the whales' complex sound-producing anatomy. The behavior may function as rough play for practicing adult competition or play a role in social dynamics, such as the dispersal of maturing males from their natal groups. The opportunistic drone observations suggest such near-surface behaviors may be more common than previously recognized.

Gif: Headbutting behavior between two juvenile sperm whales. 4x speed. Full video here

Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis)

Whereas the reality is far more like

If it wasn't clear from their scientific names, Grey Wolves and Dire Wolves aren't remotely related to one another aside from being Canids, despite what pop culture like Game of Thrones would have you believe. If they did look like each other, it would have had to be via convergent evolution, as they only shared a common ancestor over 5 million years ago.

This distinction, however, isn't found in the publicized articles about this so-called resurrected Dire Wolf and makes their claim that they brought the Dire Wolf back by simply editing *20* genes from the genome of a Grey Wolf laughable. A Dire Wolf would have shared more in common genetically with a Maned Wolf (*Chrysocyon brachyurus*) or Bush Dog (*Speothos venaticus*) than it would with a Grey Wolf.

Bottom line, don't fall for whatever this company is trying to tell you. If the Dire Wolf were to be brought back, it wouldn't be via something like this, and certainly wouldn't *look* like this. If you want an idea as to how a real Dire Wolf would look like in life, here is some fantastic paleoart by artist Mauricio Antón:

sweet beast

welcome to the holocene little one, we’ve waited so long for you