The Dire Wolf Paradox - Stated Clearly

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It's well known that in any ecosystem, prey animals far outnumber predators and scavengers. This is because each predator must eat several prey items per year to survive. So why then, are Dire Wolves, the most common fossils found in California’s La Brea Tar Pits pits?

The cleanest theory is that when large mammals got stuck in a tar pit, they would panic and flail. The noise attracted wolves. Entire groups would try to kill trapped animals or scavenge a carcass. In the process they often ended up getting stuck as well.

The tar pits are what biologists call a natural ecological trap! When new or uncommon environmental conditions lead organisms to perform maladaptive behaviors.

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