Presentation - Gross Anatomy of the Wolf
In early February 1997 the author was presented with an adult male timber wolf, frozen, for skinning, fleshing, and evisceration, per the standard operating procedures of the Indiana University Zooarchaeology lab. This wolf was kept as someone's pet; it died of old age before being donated to the University, and was not killed for "sport" or for its skin.
The wolf was more than five and a half feet long fully extended, but as presented it was frozen solid in a curled position on its left side. The fur was a full, dense winter coat of the standard "grey" wolf colouration, slightly muted by vast amounts of dirt. It formed a thick, long "mane" around the neck, greatly increasing the perceived diameter, and a thick fringe on the underbelly, and was shortest on the face and extremities. There was a dorsal stripe and evidence of countershading. The fur possessed two layers -- a layer of long, banded (agouti) outer hairs and a thick wooly inner layer of soft grey wool which came out occasionally when combed or petted (as it would have in life).
The head was broad, with a wide, flat rostrum rising slightly caudally and heavy musculature at the back of the neck. The muzzle was thick and blunt, the lips black and the skin around the eyes displaying the characteristic wolf markings. The eyes themselves were sunken and frosted, the colour indeterminable. The teeth were worn from a long lifetime of use, exposing the pulp cavities in the centre of the upper and lower incisors; the second right upper sectoral was missing. The tongue and gums were pink, turning black as they dried. The nose was wide and flat, approximately 4 cm wide, with a thick pad. The facial skin and musculature when unfrozen was soft, thin and very pliable, especially on the muzzle, indicating the great range of intricate and subtle expression of which the wolf is capable in life. The ears were frozen flat against the head; when thawed, they were quite rigid but could be moved relative to the head.
The jaw could be opened to a degree; it had a lot of open-shut "play" but not much movement from side to side, a predator adaptation to prevent dislocation of the jaw when grasping wriggling prey in the mouth. The jaw was very heavy and fortified and the zygomatic arches (cheekbones) were wide to admit the heavy masseter muscles which closed it.
The limbs were extremely long and slender (this was especially obvious after skinning). The forelimbs were nonrotatory -- the forepaws could not turn to face inward, like human, feline and most mammalian forelimbs can. This was due (upon later examination) to the fusion of the radius and ulna in the forelimb, which allowed more rigidity for solidity of running limbs but less range of motion. The hindlimbs contained a full tibia but an almost vestigial, fragile fibula, and also could not rotate. This condition is prevalent in the Canidae.
There were five toes on each forefoot, with the first toe reduced to the dewclaw. The digits
spread easily and widely upon pressure on the plantar ball (pawpad) and could be moved
individually. Each was tipped with a blunt, black, keratinic claw approximately 2.5 cm long (the
dewclaw was sharp -- it did not come in contact with the ground). One pad was observed beneath
each digit, one pad directly beneath the metacarpal/phalange joints, one pad (small) behind the
dewclaw, and one pad behind the carpals.
The dewclaws, which appeared only on the
forelimbs, appeared to be toes diminished
during evolution. The hind feet had only four
digits, of similar construction, with four digit
balls, one plantar, and one carpal. Feet were
proportionally wider and heavier than those
of C. latrans or V. vulpes, and the forefeet
were larger than the hind.
The neck was pliable and the joint showed a great range of motion. The skin was heavy, thick and loose on the body here and could easily be pulled away from the body without damage. The shoulder could move in an approximately 100-degree arc fore-and-back, with a perhaps 30-degree range of motion laterally, with the shoulder blade clearly defined through the fur. Muscling decreased distally on the forelimbs to little or no muscle on the carpals and metatarsals. The chest and hips were narrow. The back curved easily and was relatively long and supple, and the rear limbs displayed a larger range of motion than the forelimbs, extending in a nearly 180-degree arc fore-and-back with a wider lateral range of motion appropriate to the ball-and-socket joint at the femur.
The tail was thick and bushy and ended at the hocks; it was tipped with black and had a small black discolouration approximately 10% down its dorsal length, indicating the location of the scent gland. The tail could curve at an approximately 15-degree angle anywhere down its length.