Uncovering Lupercus - The Extinct Wolf Species of the Pleistocene Epoch

Lupercus is a genus of extinct wolves that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch, which spanned from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. The name "Lupercus" comes from the Latin word "lupus," which means wolf.

Lupercus was first identified as a distinct genus in 2018, based on fossil remains found in Germany and Russia. Since then, additional fossils have been discovered in other parts of Europe and Asia, including France, Italy, and China.

Lupercus is believed to be an extinct relative of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). It is thought to have evolved from a common ancestor with these species around 2 million years ago, during the early Pleistocene. However, Lupercus is distinct from both the gray wolf and the domestic dog in several ways, including its smaller size, more primitive dental features, and a different skull shape.

Lupercus is known primarily from fossil remains found in caves and other deposits associated with Ice Age environments. Its range likely spanned across Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene, but it is possible that it may have gone extinct before the end of the last Ice Age around 11,700 years ago.