Looking at these creatures, from giant snakes to incredible centipedes, one can only be glad that we live in the 21st century and will never meet them face to face.
Here are the most amazing giant extinct animals you probably didn't know about.
1. Large duck-mouthed elephants (Platybelodon grangeri)
Platybelodons are extinct herbivores related to elephants (proboscis) that roamed the earth about 4 million years ago.
2. They lived mainly in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. Platybelodons reached up to 6 meters in length and 2.8 meters in height. Luckily, they used their terrifying jaws as shovels to dig up plants.
3. Huge snakes (Titanoboa cerrejonesis)
Titanoboa, which was discovered in Colombia, was a species of snake that lived about 60 million years ago. The largest representatives reached a length of almost 13 meters and weighed more than a ton.
4. These giant snakes were related to boa constrictors and anacondas, which kill victims with their suffocating coils.
Titanoboa were not only the largest snakes in history, but also the largest land vertebrates after dinosaurs.
5. Super dragonflies (Meganeurs, Meganeura monyi)
These flying monsters are extinct insect relatives of dragonflies. They lived about 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous period.
6. The wingspan of the meganeura reached 65 centimeters (more than a human head). They were the largest flying insects that once lived on Earth.
7. Giant sea scorpion (Eurypterid, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae)
This 2.5 meter long creature was recently discovered in Germany. The giant eurypterid is an extinct animal that lived approximately 390 million years ago.
8. This crocodile-sized scorpion had a 46-centimeter mouth cavity with claws. In addition, they did not disdain to feed on their own kind.
Ancient animals
9. Huge birds (Moa, Dinornis robustus)
Giant moas were the largest birds to ever exist. Representatives of Dinornis robustus lived on the South Island in New Zealand and reached up to 3.6 meters in height and 250 kg in weight.
10. One can only breathe a sigh of relief that these birds with long tearing claws, sharp beaks and long legs no longer exist.
This monster was often called the “dragon-devil.” At 7 meters long and 400-700 kg in weight, they were the largest land lizards that ever lived.
12. Although megalanians were thought to be extinct, bones discovered in Australia indicate they are only 300 years old, and some scientists suggest they are still living in Australia.
13. Huge centipede (Arthropleura, Arthropleura)
Arthropleura were the largest terrestrial invertebrates on Earth, growing up to 2.6 meters in length. They are related to modern centipedes, but lived 340-280 million years ago.
14. In addition, they could stand up using the lower half of their body. It's time to look fear in the eye.
15. Giant sloth (Megatherium americanum)
Although these giant versions of the cute, furry sloths are thought to be herbivores, experts believe their long forearms and sharp claws were designed for eating meat.
16. Megatherium became extinct about 2000 years ago. They reached 6 meters in height, weighed almost 4 tons and walked on their hind legs. Interestingly, they are relatives of modern armadillos.
17. Giant fish (Dunkleosteus terrelli)
This giant fish reached 9 meters in length and was known as one of the most ferocious and terrible creatures that ever lived. Dunkleosteus lived during the late Devonian period 360 million years ago.
18. This fish did not need teeth, as its razor-sharp jaws could bite any prehistoric shark in two. And when Dunkleosteus did not feed, he rubbed his jaws against each other like self-sharpening scissors.
Huge animals
19. Giant tortoise (Protostega, Protostega gigas)
20. This super turtle reached up to 3 meters in length. Its sharp beak and powerful jaws helped chew slow-moving fish, including sharks. However, they themselves were not much faster, so they often found themselves prey to sharks.
21. The largest bear (Giant short-faced bear, Arctodus simus)
The giant short-faced bear was one of the largest carnivorous mammals on Earth. Straightened up, it could reach 3.5 meters in height and up to 900 kg of weight.
22. Powerful jaws, 20-centimeter claws and enormous size undoubtedly inspired fear in smaller predators.
23. Huge crocodile (Sarcosuchus imperator)
Sarcosuchus is an extinct species of crocodile that lived 112 million years ago. It was one of the largest crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived on Earth.
24. Modern crocodiles look quite scary, but they cannot be compared with this 12-meter monster. In addition, they ate dinosaurs.
25. Giant shark (Megalodon, C. megalodon)
26. Megalodon lived 28 -1.5 million years ago. This is the older brother of the great white shark, whose teeth reached 18 centimeters in length. This shark reached 15 meters in length and 50 tons of weight, being the largest predatory fish ever to exist. Megalodon could swallow a bus whole.
We often hear that more and more animal species are on the verge of extinction, and their extinction is only a matter of time. The inexorable expansion of human activities such as hunting, destruction of natural habitats, climate change and other factors are contributing to a species extinction rate that is 1000 times greater than the natural rate. Even though species extinction is a tragedy, sometimes it can be beneficial for a certain species...ours! From a 12-meter mega-snake to giraffe-sized flying creatures, today we tell you about twenty-five stunning extinct creatures that, fortunately, no longer exist.
25. Pelagornis sandersi
With a wingspan estimated to exceed 7 meters, Pelargonis Sandersi appears to be the largest flying bird ever discovered. It is possible that the bird could only fly by jumping off cliffs and spent most of its time above the ocean, where it relied on wind currents bouncing off the ocean to keep it aloft. Although it is considered the largest of the flying birds, compared to pterosaurs such as Quetzalcoatlus with a wingspan of almost 12 meters, it was quite modest in size.
24. Euphoberia (giant centipede)
Ephoberia, which is similar to modern centipedes in shape and behavior, had a striking difference - its length was almost a full meter. Scientists are not entirely sure what exactly it ate, but we do know that some modern centipedes feed on birds, snakes and bats. If a 25-centimeter centipede eats birds, imagine what a centipede almost 1 meter long could eat.
23. Gigantopithecus
Gigantopithecus lived in what is now Asia from 9 million to 100,000 years ago. They were the largest primates on Earth. Their height was 3 meters, and they weighed up to 550 kilograms. These creatures walked on four legs, like modern gorillas or chimpanzees, but there are also those scientists who are of the opinion that they walked on two legs, like humans. The features of their teeth and jaws suggest that these animals were adapted to chewing hard, fibrous foods, which they cut, crushed and chewed.
22. Andrewsarchus
Andrewsarchus was a giant carnivorous mammal that lived during the Eocene era 45 - 36 million years ago. Based on the skull and several bones found, paleontologists estimate the predator could have weighed up to 1,800 kilograms, possibly making it the largest land-based carnivorous mammal ever known. However, the behavioral habits of this creature are unclear and according to some theories, Andrewsarchus could have been an omnivore or a scavenger.
21. Pulmonoscorpius
Literally translated, Pulmonoscorpius means “breathing scorpion.” This is an extinct giant species of scorpion that lived on Earth during the Visean era of the Carboniferous period (approximately 345 - 330 million years ago). Based on fossils found in Scotland, it is believed that the length of this species was approximately 70 centimeters. It was a terrestrial animal that most likely fed on small arthropods and tetrapods.
20. Megalania
Megalania, endemic to southern Australia, became extinct as recently as approximately 30,000 years ago, meaning that the first Aboriginal people to settle Australia may well have encountered it. Scientific estimates as to the size of this lizard vary widely, but it may have been approximately 7.5 meters long, making it the largest lizard ever to have lived.
19. Helicoprion
Helicoprion, one of the longest-living prehistoric creatures (310 – 250 million years ago), is a shark-like fish from the genus subclass that was distinguished by its spiral-shaped clusters of teeth called dental helices. The length of Helicoprion could reach up to 4 meters, but the body length of its closest living relative, the chimera, reaches only 1.5 meters.
18. Entelodon
Unlike its modern relatives, Entelodon was a pig-like mammal with a wild appetite for meat. Perhaps the most monstrous-looking of all mammals, Entelodon walked on four legs and was almost as tall as a human. Some scientists believe that entelodons were cannibals. And if they could even eat their relatives, then they would definitely eat you.
17. Anomalocaris
Anomalocaris (meaning "abnormal shrimp"), which lived in almost all seas of the Cambrian period, was a species of marine animal related to ancient arthropods. Scientific research suggests that it was a predator that fed on hard-shelled sea creatures, as well as trilobites. They were particularly notable for their eyes, which were equipped with 30,000 lenses and were considered the most advanced eyes of any species of the period.
16. Meganeura
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period that resemble and are related to modern dragonflies. With a wingspan of up to 66 centimeters, it is one of the largest known flying insects that has ever lived on Earth. Meganeura was a predator and its diet consisted mainly of other insects and small amphibians.
15. Attercopus
Attercopus was a species of spider-like animal that possessed a tail like a scorpion. For a long period of time, Attercopus was considered the prehistoric ancestor of modern spiders, but scientists who discovered the fossils found more specimens recently and rethought their original conclusion. Scientists find it unlikely that Attercopus spun webs, but think it is quite possible that it used silk to wrap its eggs, construct threads for locomotion, or to line the walls of its burrows.
14. Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus is an extinct species related to modern crocodiles and alligators that lived on Earth between 80 and 73 million years ago. Even though it was much larger than any of the modern species, it generally looked the same. The body length of Deinosuchus was 12 meters. It had large, sharp teeth that were capable of killing and eating sea turtles, fish, and even large dinosaurs.
13. Dunkleosteus
Dunkleosteus, which lived approximately 380–360 million years ago during the Late Devonian period, was a large carnivorous fish. Thanks to its terrifying size, reaching up to 10 meters and weighing almost 4 tons, it was the apex predator of its time. The fish had very thick and hard scales, which made it a rather slow but very powerful swimmer.
12. Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus, which was larger than Tyrannosaurus rex, is the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever lived. The length of his body was 18 meters and he weighed up to 10 tons. Spinosaurus ate tons of fish, turtles, and even other dinosaurs. If this horror lived in the modern world, we probably would not exist.
11. Smilodon
Smilodon, endemic to the Americas, roamed the earth during the Pleistocene era (2.5 million to 10,000 years ago). He is the best known example of a saber-toothed tiger. It was a strongly built predator with particularly well-developed forelimbs and exceptionally long and sharp upper fangs. The largest species could weigh up to 408 kilograms.
10. Quetzalcoatlus 
With an incredible wingspan of 12 meters, this giant pterosaur was the largest creature to ever fly on Earth, including modern birds. However, calculating the size and mass of this creature is very problematic, since no living creature is similar in size or body structure, and as a result, published results vary greatly. One distinguishing characteristic that was observed in all specimens found was an unusually long, rigid neck.
9. Hallucigenia
The name hallucination comes from the idea that these creatures are extremely strange and have a fairy-tale appearance, as in a hallucination. The worm-like creature had a body length that varied from 0.5 to 3 centimeters and a head that lacked sensory organs such as eyes and nose. Instead, Hallucigenia had seven claw-tipped tentacles on each side of its body and three pairs of tentacles behind them. To say that this creature was strange is to say nothing.
8. Arthropleura
Arthropleura lived on Earth during the Late Carboniferous period (340 - 280 million years ago) and was endemic to what is now North America and Scotland. It was the largest known terrestrial invertebrate species. Despite its enormous length of up to 2.7 meters and previous conclusions, Arthropleura was not a predator, it was a herbivore that fed on rotting forest plants.
7. Short-faced bear
The short-faced bear is an extinct member of the bear family that lived in North America during the late Pleistocene until 11,000 years ago, making it one of the most recently extinct creatures on the list. However, in size it was truly prehistoric. Standing on its hind legs, it reached a height of 3.6 meters, and if it extended its front legs upward, it could reach 4.2 meters. According to scientists, the short-faced bear weighed more than 1,360 kilograms.
6. Megalodon
Megalodon, whose name translates to "big tooth", is an extinct species of basking shark that lived between 28 and 1.5 million years ago. With its incredible length of 18 meters, it is considered one of the largest and most powerful predators that has ever lived on Earth. Megalodon lived all over the world and looked like a much larger and more terrifying version of the modern white shark.
5. Titanoboa
Titanoboa, which lived approximately 60–58 million years ago during the Paleocene epoch, is the largest, longest, and heaviest snake ever discovered. Scientists believe that the largest individuals could reach a length of up to 13 meters and weigh approximately 1133 kilograms. Her diet usually consisted of giant crocodiles and turtles, which shared her territory in modern-day South America.
4. Phorusrhacid
These prehistoric creatures, informally known as "terror birds", are an extinct species of large carnivorous birds that were the largest species of apex predator in South America during the Cenozoic era, 62-2 million years ago. These are the largest flightless birds that have ever lived on Earth. The terrifying birds reached 3 meters in height, weighed half a ton and could supposedly run as fast as a cheetah.
3. Cameroceras
Cameroceras, which lived on our planet in the Ordovician period 470 - 440 million years ago, was the giant ancient ancestor of modern cephalopods and octopuses. The most distinctive part of this mollusk was its huge cone-shaped shell and tentacles, which it used to catch fish and other sea creatures. Estimates of the size of this shell vary greatly, from 6 to 12 meters.
2. Carbonemys
Carbonemis is an extinct species of giant tortoise that lived on Earth approximately 60 million years ago. This means they survived the mass extinction that killed off most dinosaurs. Fossil remains that were found in Colombia suggest that the length of the turtle's shell was almost 180 centimeters. The turtle was a carnivore with huge jaws that were strong enough to eat large animals such as crocodiles.
1. Jaekelopterus
At an estimated size of 2.5 meters, Jaekelopterus is one of the two largest arthropods ever found. Although sometimes called the "sea scorpion", it was actually more of a giant lobster, living in freshwater lakes and rivers in what is now Western Europe. This terrifying creature lived on Earth approximately 390 million years ago, earlier than most dinosaurs.
Ancient animals of the Earth are animals that became extinct for some natural reasons before the appearance of humans. They are sometimes called prehistoric animals. Some of them continued to exist even after the advent of humanity and became extinct through our fault.
The dodo or dodo is a large flightless bird. Its modern relatives are birds of the order Pigeonidae. At one time, dodos densely populated the island of Mauritius, ate plant foods, and the female dodo laid a single egg directly on the ground. The dodo disappeared only in the 17th century due to the fault of people and the animals they brought to the island.
The most famous ancient animals on Earth are mammoths. This species of elephant lived on our planet about 1.5 million years ago. Judging by the fossil remains, mammoths were larger than their modern relatives and their bodies were covered with wool. Mammoths ate exclusively plant foods and were desirable prey for primitive hunters. There is no consensus on why mammoths became extinct.
Smilodon, or the saber-toothed tiger, disappeared from the surface of our planet more than 2 million years ago. Smilodon was larger than modern tigers, and the long saber-shaped fangs on the upper jaw allowed it to hunt thick-skinned rhinoceroses and elephants.
The giant ground sloth Megatherium lived about 2 million years ago on the American continent. The length of his body was 6 meters. Megatherium fed on the shoots of young trees, bending them to the ground with long front paws equipped with curved claws.
Another large flightless bird of antiquity with strong three-meter hind limbs is the moa. Moa lived in New Zealand until the 17th century and were completely destroyed by people.
The bird apiornis, also not flying, weighed up to 450 kilograms, and its height reached 3 meters. According to assumptions, the eggs of these birds could weigh up to 10 kilograms. Back in the 19th century, apiornis could be seen in Madagascar, but due to deforestation of tropical forests and ruthless extermination, today these ancient birds have become completely extinct.
Chalicotherium is an ancient animal of the Earth with a horse's head and claws instead of hooves. Scientists attribute it to the order of equids. In attempts to reach high-lying plant food, Chalicotherium could reach a height of 5 meters on its powerful hind limbs.
An ancient animal of the Earth that is probably lucky to survive to this day is the marsupial wolf. The body length of this ancient mammal is up to 1 meter, plus the length of its half-meter tail. He lived in Australia, but by the time the continent was discovered by Europeans, it survived only on the island of Tasmania (sometimes the wolf is called Tasmanian). Since the beginning of the 20th century, no one has seen a marsupial wolf alive, but it is nevertheless listed in the Red Book.
And the most mysterious and numerous ancient animals of the Earth are dinosaurs. Their name is translated as “terrible lizards.” For 200 million years they almost everywhere inhabited the earth's land and mysteriously died 60 million years ago. The most likely reason for the extinction of dinosaurs is the collision of our planet with an asteroid, as a result of which the Earth's climate changed in a way that was detrimental to dinosaurs.
The name of the superorder Laurasiatheria is based on the common origin of the mammals belonging to it from somewhere in Laurasia - they all descended from some lucky population of animals that lived on this ancient continent about 95 million years ago, and spread initially, even during the time of dinosaurs , across the Northern Hemisphere, and from there they moved on to conquer the rest of the planet.
[without a number]. Insectivora- hedgehogs, moles, shrews, slittooths - traditionally an order, but in fact paraphyletic, that is, a combined group of animals that have preserved the most archaic structure, which has changed little since the time of dinosaurs. Looking at them, you can imagine the common ancestors of all the animals that will be discussed in this part. There are no giants among them, but as an example I would like to mention Chuchundra - remember, Kipling’s, which could not go into the middle of the room? So this is a real animal, only not a rat, but a giant shrew ( Suncus murinus, chuchundar), it is found in India and Southeast Asia. Well, for a shrew it’s gigantic – 20-23 cm long including the tail.
18. Chiroptera (Chiroptera)- the only order of mammals whose representatives are capable of active flight. This second largest (after rodents) order includes 1,200 species. The largest of them have long lived not in caves, but in forests, where fossil remains are poorly preserved, and we have only one largest representative, a modern one - the maned Acerodon ( Acerodon jubatus), which can grow up to 2 m in wingspan and weigh more than 1.5 kg. A harmless frugivorous endemic from the Philippines.
19. Squad Tzimolestov (Cimolesta, which means “white clay stealers”) was considered extinct in the Miocene, having previously given rise as a side branch, but recent genetic studies have shown that modern pangolins, traditionally classified as a separate order, belong to it. The largest of these scaly ant eaters is the giant pangolin ( Manis gigantea), living in Africa. Length 140 cm, weight up to 33 kg. In the old days, cymolests were no less bizarre, and the largest known was barylambda ( Barylambda faberi) from the Paleocene (60-56 million years ago) of North America. The length of this herbivore was about 2.5 m, weight about 650 kg.
20. Dinocerata- an extinct order of mammals that lived from the Upper Paleocene to the Middle Eocene (59-41 million years ago) in North America and Asia. One of the first large mammals to appear since the extinction of the dinosaurs. A sort of trial, alpha version of ungulates that left no descendants. The largest of them is the Uintatherium. Uintatherium anceps 1.50 m high at the withers, about 3.3 m long, lived in the Middle Eocene in North America.
21. - another extinct order of mammals, peculiar predators of ungulate origin. The largest of them, and at the same time the largest land mammal predator, was Andrewsarchus Andrewsarchus mongoliensis from the Upper Eocene of Mongolia (45-36 million years ago). 3.4 m in length without a tail (all 5 with a tail), 1.5 m at the withers and 800-900 kg of live weight.
22. Creodonts (Creodonta)- an extinct order of predatory mammals that I talked about. The largest of them was and still remains Megistotherium Megistotherium osteothlastes weighing about 880 kg, more than 3.5 m long and a 65 cm long skull. It lived in the Middle Miocene (12 million years ago) in what is now Egypt, Libya and Kenya.
23. Next comes the squad carnivorous (Carnivora). Family Felidae needs no introduction and contains three champions: the largest modern tiger ( Panthera tigris), the Amur subspecies of which grows up to 3.3 m in length, 1.2 m at the withers and weighs up to 300 kg; extinct American subspecies of lion ( Panthera leo atrox) – 3.7 m in length as the largest and saber-toothed Smilodon populator with 470 kg as the most massive.
24. Hyenas (Hyaenidae)- well-known predators (not to be confused with the cat family!), convergently similar to canines, and genetically close to civets. The largest species today is the spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta), reaching up to 1.5 - 1.6 m in length, with a shoulder height of 90 cm, and the largest in history was a 190-kilogram short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, which lived in Europe between 1.6 and 0.5 million years ago and performed the same biological role there as its modern spotted sister in Africa.
25. Percrocutidae- hyena-like predators that lived in Asia, Africa and southern Europe from the Miocene to the Pliocene (about 20-2.59 million years ago). However, they were more closely related to the cat-like nimravids than to the much more similar hyenas. They were apparently replaced by real hyenas. Reached its largest size Dinocrocuta gigantea,
26. In the family canids (Canidae) Domestic dogs compete for the title of largest species ( Canis lupus familiaris) and extinct Epicyon haydeni, who lived between 10 and 13 million years ago in North America. Epicyon was 2.4 m long and weighed over a hundred.
27. The largest representative Ursids (Ursidae) and the largest land predator of our time - the polar bear ( Ursus maritimus). Its length reaches 3 m, weight up to 1 ton. The largest bear of all time is Arctotherium angustidens- a bear about 3.5 m in length from the Pleistocene (2 million - 10 thousand years ago). South America.
28. Family raccoons (Procyonidae) today it cannot boast of giants. But the ancestors of the bear from the previous section, having come from North America to South America, apparently, competitively wiped out Chapalmalania altaefrontis- a giant (meter at the withers) raccoon that lived there between 5.3 and 1.8 million years ago).
29. Pinnipeds (Pinnipedia) previously they formed one unit together, but today they figured out what it was - true seals (Phocidae), walruses (Odobenidae) And eared seals (Otariidae). The largest representatives of all three families are living today. This is respectively the southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina, 6.9 m x 5t), walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus, 4.9 m x 2t) and sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus, 3.5 m x 1t).
30. That’s all with the predatory animals, let’s move on to the squad equids (Perissodactyla). Brontotheriidae- an extinct family of equids that lived from the Eocene to the beginning of the Oligocene. Despite the similarity with rhinoceroses, they were related closer to horses, and the horns on their nose were not keratin, but outgrowths of the nasal bones of the skull, and served not so much as a weapon, but as a snorkel when feeding on swamp vegetation and a resonating chamber. The largest of them was Embolotherium ( Embolotherium sp.), who lived in the territory of the modern Gobi Desert 50 million years ago. He was about 2.5 m at the withers and weighed about 2000 kg.
31. As for the actual Rhinoceros (Rhinocerotidae), then they are thanks to the white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum) today occupy the place of the second largest land animal on the planet after the elephant. The weight of old males can reach 5 tons, body length - 4.2 m, height at the shoulders - 2 m. The largest rhinoceros in history is Elasmotherium Elasmotherium caucasicum, who lived in Eurasia from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene, up to 6 m long, 2.5 m high.
32. Family close to rhinoceroses - Hyracodontidae. Most of them were small hornless creatures with a light build and resembled small horses, but this family includes the largest land mammal of all time - Indricotherium Paraceratherium tienshanense. This beauty, up to 5.5 m high at the withers, 9 m long and weighing about 15 tons, lived in Asia in the Oligocene between 33 and 23 million years ago.
33. Using the example of a family equidae (Equidae) it is very good to demonstrate consistent evolution - its representatives, over the course of 55 million years, smoothly and consistently lost their extra toes and grew from a 20-centimeter Hyracotherium (a common ancestor with Indricotherium) to the actual life-size horse. Then people intervened in the process, as a result we have a domestic horse ( Equus ferus caballus) as the largest representative of the family. The historical height record belongs to Samson, born in 1850, later renamed Mammoth, whose height reached 218 cm at the withers, and the tallest living horse in the world is considered to be the English draft horse Noddy, 2.05 meters high at the withers and weighing one and a half tons.
34. Another family related to horses - Chalicotheriidae– represented by strange creatures that lived from the Eocene to the Pliocene (40-3.5 million years ago). Their fingers, despite belonging to the order of equids, were not hooves, but thick claws. Some of them extracted roots and tubers from the ground, others ate leaves, bending tree branches with their paws. Their sizes varied from comparable to a sheep to a 2.7-meter chalicotherium at the withers Chalicotherium sp..
35. Let's move on to artiodactyls. To the family bovids (Bovidae) include buffalos, antelopes and other goats - those ruminants whose horns are unbranched, non-replaceable and covered with a horny sheath. Today the largest cow is the Gaur ( Bos frontalis). Its body length is more than three meters, its height at the shoulders reaches 2.3 m, and its weight can in some cases reach 2000 kg. Pleistocene American giant bison ( Bison latifrons) was already 5 m long and weighed the same two tons on average, and not as a record. The distance between the tips of its horns is 2.5 m.
36. Representatives of the family cervidae have branched, regularly shed and regrow horns, usually growing only on males. The most primitive representatives do not have horns, but they do have fangs. Today the largest deer is the elk ( Alces alces) – body length up to 3 m, height at the withers up to 2.3 m, weight up to 600 kg. But Thranduil in Peter Jackson’s film - remember it yourself and tell all your friends! - sat astride not just any elk, but a megaloceros or big-horned deer ( Megaloceros giganteus). This largest representative of the family, exterminated by humans back in the Pleistocene, resembled an elk in size, but weighed about 750 kg, and its antlers reached 3.65 m in width. Its range covered most of Eurasia, from Western Europe to western China.
37. Family camelids (Camelidae) today it is not numerous, and its largest representative is the dromedary camel ( Camelus dromedarius) about 2 m in height at the withers and weighing 600 kg. Giant camel ( Titanotylopus nebraskensis), who lived 10.3-1.8 million years ago in North America, was 3.5 m tall at the withers, 5 m long and weighed about 2 tons.
38. Giraffidae- a family of artiodactyls, currently found exclusively in Africa and containing two genera, in which there is one species each: giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) and okapi. The first is the tallest mammal of the present time and the largest representative of the family in history.
39. Treasure Suoidea includes the families Suidae (Pigs), Tayassuidae (Peccaries) and Entelodontidae (Entelodonts). The largest representative of the modern family, as you might guess, is the domestic pig subspecies of wild boar ( Sus scrofa domesticus), individual individuals of which can reach a ton of weight or more. Lived in North America during the Miocene Daeodon shoshonensis- a representative of entelodonts with a height of 3.4 m in length, 2.4 m in height at the withers and a weight of 900 kg.
40. Family hippopotamuses (Hippopotamidae) used to be classified as suborder Porciniformes or non-ruminants, but from a cladistics point of view they are closer to whales and ruminants than to pigs. Today the largest hippopotamus is the common ( Hippopotamus amphibius), reaching 3 m in length, 1.65 m at the withers and sometimes weighing more than 4 tons. But this is not the height of God’s ways - in the Pleistocene it was found in the lakes of Western Sahara Hippopotamus gorgops 4.3 meters long. Well, in appearance - a hippopotamus is a hippopotamus.
Well, we are left with the order of cetaceans (Cetacea), which includes no less than 14 families, to which we will devote a separate part - why are they worse than sauropods, in the end?
Today we have great overview of prehistoric animals who lived on Earth millions of years ago. Big and strong, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers, terrible birds and giant sloths. All of them disappeared from our planet forever.
Based on materials from Studia @ UA
Lived about 15 million years ago
The remains of Platybelodon (lat. Platybelodon) were found for the first time only in 1920 in the Miocene deposits of Asia. This animal descended from Archaeobelodon (genus Archaeobelodon) from the Early and Middle Miocene of Africa and Eurasia and was looks a lot like an elephant, except that it did not have a trunk, the place of which was taken by huge jaws.
Platybelodon became extinct towards the end of the Miocene, approximately 6 million years ago, and today there is no animal with such an unusual mouth shape. Platybelodon had a dense build and reached 3 meters at the withers. It probably weighed 3.5-4.5 tons. There were two pairs of tusks in the mouth. The upper tusks were round in cross-section, like those of modern elephants, while the lower tusks were flattened and spade-shaped. With its spade-shaped lower tusks, Platybelodon rummaged in the ground in search of roots or stripped bark from trees.
AND silt about 48 million years ago
Pakicetus (lat. Pakicetus) is an extinct predatory mammal belonging to the archaeocetes. The oldest known predecessors of modern whale, adapted to searching for food in water. Lived in the territory of modern Pakistan.
This primitive “whale” still remained an amphibian, like the modern otter. The ear had already begun to adapt to hear underwater, but could not yet withstand the great pressure. He had powerful jaws that marked him as a predator, close-set eyes and a muscular tail. The sharp teeth were adapted to grab slippery fish. He probably had webbing between his fingers. The cranial bones are very similar to those of whales.
Lived 300 thousand years ago
Megaloceros (lat. Megaloceros giganteus) or big-horned deer, appeared about 300 thousand years ago and went extinct at the end of the Ice Age. Inhabited Eurasia, from the British Isles to China, preferring open landscapes with sparse tree vegetation.
There was a big horned deer about the size of a modern moose. The male's head was decorated with colossal horns, greatly expanded at the top in the shape of a spade with several branches, with a span of 200 to 400 cm, and weighing up to 40 kg. Scientists do not have a consensus on what led to the emergence of such huge and, apparently, inconvenient jewelry for the owner. It is likely that the luxurious horns of males, intended for tournament fights and attracting females, were quite a hindrance in everyday life. Perhaps, when forests replaced the tundra-steppe and forest-steppe, it was the colossal horns that caused the extinction of the species. He could not live in the forests, because with such a “decoration” on his head it was impossible to walk through the forest.
Lived 36-30 million years ago
Arsinotherium (lat. Arsinoitherium) is an ungulate that lived approximately 36-30 million years ago. It reached a length of 3.5 meters and was 1.75 m in height at the withers. Externally resembled a modern rhinoceros, however, he retained all five toes on his front and hind legs.
Its “special feature” were huge, massive horns, consisting not of keratin, but of a bone-like substance, and a pair of small outgrowths of the frontal bone. Remains of Arsinotherium are known from Lower Oligocene deposits of northern Africa (Egypt).
Lived from 60 to 10 million years
Astrapoteria (lat. Astrapotherium magnum) is a genus of large ungulates from the late Oligocene - middle Miocene of South America. They are the most well-studied representatives of the order Astrapotheria. They were quite large animals - their body length reached 290 cm, height was 140 cm, and weight, apparently, reached 700 - 800 kg.
Lived about 60 million years ago
Titanoides (lat. Titanoides) lived on the American continent and were the first truly large mammals. The area where the Titanoides lived was subtropical with swampy forest, similar to modern southern Florida.
They probably ate roots, leaves, and tree bark; they also did not disdain small animals and carrion. They were distinguished by the presence of terrifying fangs - sabers, on a huge, almost half-meter skull. Overall, they were powerful beasts, weighing about 200 kg. and body length up to 2 meters.
Lived about 45 million years ago
Stylinodon (lat. Stylinodon) is the most famous and last species of taeniodont, living during the Middle Eocene in North America. Teniodonts were among the most rapidly evolving mammals after the extinction of dinosaurs. They are probably related to ancient primitive insectivorous animals, from which they apparently originated.
The largest representatives, such as Stylinodon, reached the size of a pig or small bear and weighed up to 110 kg. The teeth had no roots and had constant growth. Teniodonts were strong, muscular animals. Their five-fingered limbs developed powerful claws adapted for digging. All this suggests that taeniodonts ate solid plant food (tubers, rhizomes, etc.), which they dug out of the ground with their claws. It is believed that they were the same active diggers and led a similar burrowing lifestyle.
Lived about 60 million years ago
Pantolambda (lat. Pantolambda) is a relatively large North American pantodont, the size of a sheep, who lived in the mid-Paleocene. The oldest representative of the order. Pantodonts are related to early ungulates. It is likely that Pantolambda's diet was varied and not very specialized. The menu included shoots and leaves, mushrooms and fruits, which could be supplemented with insects, worms, or carrion.
Lived 3 million years ago
Kvabebihyrax kachethicus is a genus of very large fossil hyraxes of the pliohyracid family. Lived only in Transcaucasia, (in Eastern Georgia) in the late Pliocene.
They were distinguished by their large size, the length of their massive body reached 1,500 cm. The protrusion of the quabebigirax's eye sockets above the surface of the forehead, like a hippopotamus, indicates its ability to hide in water. Perhaps it was in the aquatic environment that Quabebigirax sought protection in times of danger.
Lived 55 million years ago
Coryphodon (lat. Coryphodon) were widespread in the lower Eocene, at the end of which they became extinct. The genus Coryphodon appeared in Asia in the early Eocene era, and then migrated to the territory of modern North America.
The height of the corfodon was about a meter and its weight was approximately 500 kg. Probably, these animals preferred to settle in forests or near water bodies. The basis of their diet was leaves, young shoots, flowers and all kinds of marsh vegetation. These animals, which had a very small brain and were characterized by a very imperfect structure of teeth and limbs, could not coexist for long with the new, more progressive ungulates that took their place.
Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago
Coelodonta antiquitatis - fossils woolly rhinoceroses, adapted to life in the arid and cool conditions of the open landscapes of Eurasia. They existed from the late Pliocene to the early Holocene. They were large, relatively short-legged animals with a high nape and an elongated skull bearing two horns. The length of their massive body reached 3.2 - 4.3 m, height at the withers - 1.4 - 2 meters.
A characteristic feature of these animals was a well-developed woolly coat, which protected them from low temperatures and cold winds. The low-set head with square lips made it possible to collect the main food - the vegetation of the steppe and tundra-steppe. From archaeological finds it follows that the woolly rhinoceros was hunted by Neanderthals about 70 thousand years ago.
Lived from 36 to 23 million years ago
Embolotherium (lat. Embolotherium ergilense) are representatives of the order of odd-toed animals. They are large land mammals larger than rhinoceroses. The group was widely represented in the savannah landscapes of Central Asia and North America, mainly in the Oligocene.
The height of a large African elephant, about 4 meters at the withers, the animal weighed about 7 tons.
Lived from 15 million to 40 thousand years ago
Palorchestes (lat. Palorchestes azael) - a genus of marsupials that lived in Australia in the Miocene and became extinct in the Pleistocene approximately 40 thousand years ago, after the arrival of man in Australia. Reached 1 meter at the withers. The animal's muzzle ended with a small proboscis, for which Palorchests are called marsupial tapirs, to which they are somewhat similar. In fact, palorchests are quite close relatives of koalas.
Synthetoceras (lat. Synthetoceras tricornatus) lived in the Miocene in North America. The most characteristic difference between these animals is their bony “horns”. It is unknown whether they were covered with a cornea, like modern cattle, but it is clear that the antlers did not change annually, like deer.
Synthetoceras belonged to the extinct North American family Protoceratidae, and is believed to be related to camels.
Lived from 35 to 23 million years ago
Meriteria (lat. Moeritherium) is the oldest known representative of proboscis. Was the size of a tapir and in appearance probably resembled this animal, having a rudimentary trunk. Reached 2 meters in length and 70 cm in height. Weighed about 225 kg.
The second pairs of incisors in the upper and lower jaws were greatly enlarged; their further hypertrophy in later proboscideans led to the formation of tusks. Lived in the late Eocene and Oligocene in North Africa (from Egypt to Senegal). It ate plants and algae. According to the latest data, modern elephants had distant ancestors who lived mainly in water.
Lived from 20 to 2 million years ago
Deinotherium (lat. Deinotherium giganteum) are the largest terrestrial animals of the late Miocene - middle Pliocene. The body length of representatives of various species ranged from 3.5-7 meters, height at the withers reached 3-5 meters, and weight could reach 8-10 tons. Outwardly, they resembled modern elephants, but differed from them in proportions.
Lived from 20 to 5 million years ago
Stegotetrabelodon (lat. Stegotetrabelodon) is a representative of the elephantid family, which means that elephants themselves used to have 4 well-developed tusks. The lower jaw was longer than the upper, but its tusks were shorter. At the end of the Miocene (5 million years ago), proboscideans began to lose their lower tusks.
Lived from 45 to 36 million years ago
Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus), perhaps largest extinct terrestrial carnivorous mammal, lived in the Middle - Late Eocene era in Central Asia . Andrewsarchus is represented as a long-bodied, short-legged beast with a huge head. The length of the skull is 83 cm, the width of the zygomatic arches is 56 cm, but the dimensions can be much larger.
According to modern reconstructions, if we assume relatively large head sizes and shorter leg lengths, then the body length could reach up to 3.5 meters (without the 1.5 meter tail), the height at the shoulders could be up to 1.6 meters. Weight could reach 1 ton. Andrewsarchus is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls.
Lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago
Amphicyonids (lat. Amphicyon major) or dog-bears became widespread in Europe and western Turkey. The proportions of the Amphicyonidae were a mixture of bear and cat features. His remains were found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey.
The average weight of male Amphicyonids was 210 kg, and females - 120 kg (almost the same as modern lions). The amphicyonid was an active predator, and its teeth were well adapted for crunching bones.
Lived from 35 million to 10 thousand years ago
Giant sloths are a group of several different species of sloths that are particularly large in size. They arose in the Oligocene about 35 million years ago and lived on the American continents, reaching a weight of several tons and a height of 6 m. Unlike modern sloths, they lived not in trees, but on the ground. They were clumsy, slow animals with low, narrow skulls and very little brain matter.
Despite its great weight, the animal stood on its hind legs and, leaning its forelimbs on the tree trunk, reached for succulent leaves. Leaves were not the only food of these animals. They also ate cereals, and perhaps did not disdain carrion. People settled the American continent between 30 and 10 thousand years ago, and the last giant sloths disappeared from the continent about 10 thousand years ago. This suggests that these animals were hunted. They were probably easy prey because, like their modern relatives, they moved very slowly.
Lived from 2 million to 500 thousand years ago
Arctotherium (lat. Arctotherium angustidens) - the largest short-faced bear, currently known. Representatives of this species reached 3.5 meters in length and weighed about 1,600 kg. The height at the withers reached 180 cm.
Arctotherium lived in the Pleistocene, on the Argentine plains. At one time (2 million - 500 thousand years ago) he was the largest predator on the planet.
Lived from 52 to 37 million years ago
Uintatherium (lat. Uintatherium) is a mammal from the order Dinocerata. The most characteristic feature is three pairs of horn-like projections on the roof of the skull (parietal and maxillary bones), more developed in males. The growths were covered with skin.
Reached the size of a large rhinoceros. It fed on soft vegetation (leaves), lived in tropical forests along the shores of lakes, and was possibly semi-aquatic.
Lived from 3.6 million to 13 thousand years ago
Toxodon (lat. Toxodon) is the largest representative of the toxodont family (Toxodontidae), lived only in South America. The genus Toxodon formed at the end of the Pliocene and survived until the very end of the Pleistocene. With its massive build and large size, Toxodon resembled a hippopotamus or rhinoceros. The height at the shoulders was approximately 1.5 meters, and the length was about 2.7 meters (excluding the short tail).
Lived about 20 to 2.5 million years ago
Marsupial saber tooth tiger or Thylacosmilus (lat. Thylacosmilus atrox) is a predatory marsupial of the order Sparassodonta that lived in the Miocene (10 million years ago). Reached the size of a jaguar. The upper canines are clearly visible on the skull, constantly growing, with huge roots continuing into the frontal region and long protective “blades” on the lower jaw. The upper incisors are missing.
He probably hunted large herbivores. Thylacosmila is often called a marsupial tiger, by analogy with another formidable predator - the marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex). It died out at the end of the Pliocene, unable to withstand competition with the first saber-toothed cats that settled the continent.
Lived about 35 million years ago
Sarkastodon (lat. Sarkastodon mongoliensis) - one of the largest mammalian land predators of all time. This huge oxyenid lived in Central Asia. The Sarcastodon skull discovered in Mongolia is about 53 cm long, and the width at the zygomatic arches is approximately 38 cm. The body length, excluding the tail, apparently was 2.65 meters.
Sarcastodon looked like cross between a cat and a bear, only under a ton of weight. Perhaps he led a lifestyle similar to that of a bear, but was much more carnivorous, and did not disdain carrion, driving away weaker predators.
Lived 23 million years ago
Terrible birds (as fororakos are sometimes called), who lived 23 million years ago. They differed from their counterparts in their massive skull and beak. Their height reached 3 meters, weighed up to 300 kg and were formidable predators.
Scientists created a three-dimensional model of the bird's skull and found that the bones of the head were strong and rigid in the vertical and longitudinal-transverse directions, while in the transverse direction the skull was quite fragile. This means that the fororacos would not be able to grapple with struggling prey. The only option is to beat the victim to death with vertical blows of the beak, as if with an ax. The only competitor to the terrible bird was most likely the marsupial saber-toothed tiger (Thylacosmilus). Scientists believe that these two predators were once at the top of the food chain. Thylacosmil was a stronger animal, but Paraphornis surpassed it in speed and agility.
Lived from 7 to 5 million years ago
The hare family (Leporidae) also had its own giants. In 2005, a giant rabbit was described from the island of Menorca (Balearics, Spain), which received the name (lat. Nuralagus rex). The size of a dog, it could reach a weight of 14 kg. According to scientists, such a large size of the rabbit is due to the so-called island rule. According to this principle, large species, once on the islands, decrease over time, while small ones, on the contrary, increase.
Nuralagus had relatively small eyes and ears, which did not allow him to see and hear well - he did not have to fear an attack, because there were no large predators on the island. In addition, scientists believe that due to reduced paws and rigidity of the spine, the “king of rabbits” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps.
Megistotherium
Megistotherium (lat. Megistotherium osteothlastes) is a giant hyaenodontid that lived in the early and middle Miocene. It is considered one of the largest land mammal predators to ever exist. Its fossilized remains have been found in East and Northeast Africa and South Asia.
The length of the body with the head was about 4 m + the length of the tail was presumably 1.6 m, the height at the withers was up to 2 meters. The weight of Megistotherium is estimated at 880-1400 kg.
Lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand years ago
The woolly mammoth (lat. Mammuthus primigenius) appeared 300 thousand years ago in Siberia, from where it spread to North America and Europe. The mammoth was covered with coarse wool, up to 90 cm long. A layer of fat almost 10 cm thick served as additional thermal insulation. The summer coat was significantly shorter and less dense. They were most likely painted dark brown or black. With small ears and a short trunk compared to modern elephants, the woolly mammoth was well adapted to cold climates.
Woolly mammoths were not as huge as is often assumed. Adult males reached a height of 2.8 to 4 m, which is not much larger than modern elephants. However, they were significantly more massive than elephants, weighing up to 8 tons. A noticeable difference from living species of proboscis was the strongly curved tusks, a special growth on the top of the skull, a high hump and a steeply sloping rear part of the back. The tusks found to this day reached a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg.
Lived from 100 thousand to 10 thousand years ago
In addition to the woolly northern mammoths, there were also southern ones without wool. In particular, the Columbian mammoth (lat. Mammuthus columbi), which was one of the largest representatives of the elephant family that ever existed. The height at the withers of adult males reached 4.5 m, and their weight was about 10 tons. It was closely related to the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and came into contact with it at the northern border of its range. Lived in the vast expanses of North America.
The northernmost finds are located in southern Canada, the southernmost in Mexico. It ate mainly grasses and lived like today's elephant species in matriarchal groups of two to twenty animals led by a mature female. Adult males approached the herds only during the mating season. Mothers protected mammoth calves from large predators, which was not always successful, as evidenced by the finds of hundreds of baby mammoths in caves. The extinction of the Columbian mammoth occurred at the end of the Pleistocene about 10 thousand years ago.
Lived about 10 million years ago
Cubanochoerus (lat. Kubanochoerus robustus) is a large representative of the pig family of the order Artiodactyl. Skull length 680 mm. The facial part is highly elongated and 2 times longer than the brain section.
A distinctive feature of this animal is the presence of horn-like outgrowths on the skull. One of them, a large one, was located in front of the eye sockets on the forehead, behind it were a pair of small protrusions on the sides of the skull. It is possible that fossil pigs used these weapons during ritual fights between males, as African wild boars do today. The upper fangs are large, rounded, curved upward, the lower ones are triangular. In size, Cubanochoerus exceeded the modern wild boar and weighed more than 500 kg. One genus and one species are known from the Middle Miocene Belomechetskaya locality in the North Caucasus.
Lived from 9 to 1 million years ago
Gigantopithecus (lat. Gigantopithecus) is an extinct genus of apes that lived in the territory of modern India, China and Vietnam. According to experts, Gigantopithecus had a height of up to 3 meters and weighed from 300 to 550 kg, that is, they were the largest monkeys of all time. At the end of the Pleistocene, Gigantopithecus may have coexisted with Homo erectus, who began to penetrate Asia from Africa.
Fossil remains indicate that Gigantopithecus was the largest primate of all time. They were probably herbivores and walked on all fours, feeding mainly on bamboo, sometimes adding seasonal fruits to their food. However, there are theories that prove the omnivorous nature of these animals. Two species of this genus are known: Gigantopithecus bilaspurensis, which lived between 9 and 6 million years ago in China, and Gigantopithecus blacki, which lived in northern India at least 1 million years ago. Sometimes a third species, Gigantopithecus giganteus, is isolated.
Although it is not completely known what exactly caused their extinction, most researchers believe that climate change and competition for food sources from other, more adaptable species - pandas and humans - were among the main reasons. The closest relative of the existing species is the orangutan, although some experts consider Gigantopithecus to be closer to gorillas.
Lived from 1.6 million to 40 thousand years ago
Diprotodon (lat. Diprotodon) or “marsupial hippopotamus” - largest known marsupial to ever live on Earth. Diprotodon belongs to the Australian megafauna, a group of unusual species that lived in Australia.
Diprotodon bones, including complete skulls and skeletons, as well as hair and footprints, have been found in many places in Australia. Sometimes the skeletons of females are discovered along with the skeletons of the cubs that were once in the pouch. The largest specimens were approximately the size of a hippopotamus: about 3 meters in length and about 3 meters at the withers. The closest living relatives of diprotodons are wombats and koalas. Therefore, diprotodons are sometimes called giant wombats. It cannot be ruled out that the appearance of humans on the mainland was one of the reasons for the disappearance of marsupial hippopotamuses.
Lived about 20 million years ago
Deodon (lat. Daeodon) is an Asian entelodont that migrated to North America around the end of the Oligocene era. "Giant pigs" or "pigwolves" were four-legged land omnivores with massive jaws and teeth that allowed them to crush and eat large animals, including bones. With a height of more than 2 meters at the withers, it took food from smaller predators.
Lived from 40 to 3.5 million years ago
Chalicotherium. Chalicotheriums are a family of the equid order. They lived from the Eocene to the Pliocene (40-3.5 million years ago). Reached the size of a large horse, to which they were probably somewhat similar in appearance. They had a long neck and long front legs, four-toed or three-toed. The toes ended in large split claw phalanges, on which were not hooves, but thick claws.
Lived 60 million years ago
Barylambda faberi is a primitive pantodont. He lived in America and was one of the largest mammals of the Paleocene. With a length of 2.5 meters and a weight of 650 kg, Barylambda slowly moved on short powerful legs ending in five fingers with hoof-like claws. She ate bushes and leaves. There is an assumption that Barylambda occupied an ecological niche similar to ground sloths, with the tail serving as a third point of support.
Lived from 2.5 million to 10 thousand years BC. e.
A mammal of the genus Smilodon, which is incorrectly called the saber-toothed tiger. The largest saber-toothed cat of all time and the third largest representative of the family, second in size only to the cave and American lions.
Smilodon (meaning “dagger tooth”) reached a height at the withers of 125 cm, a length of 250 cm, including a 30-centimeter tail, and weighed from 225 to 400 kg. Given the size of a lion, its weight exceeded that of an Amur tiger due to its stocky build, which is atypical for modern felines. The famous fangs reached 29 centimeters in length (including the root), and, despite their fragility, were powerful weapons.
Lived from 300 thousand to 10 thousand years ago
The American lion (lat. Panthera leo spelaea) is an extinct subspecies of lion that lived on the American continent in the Upper Pleistocene. It reached a body length of about 3.7 meters with a tail and weighed 400 kg. This largest cat ever, only Smilodon had the same weight, although it was smaller in linear dimensions
Lived from 8 to 5 million years ago
Argentavis magnificens - the largest flying bird in the history of the Earth, which lived in Argentina. He belonged to the now completely extinct family of teratorns, birds that are fairly closely related to American vultures. Argentavis weighed about 60–80 kg, and its wingspan reached 8 meters. (For comparison, the wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any existing bird - 3.25 m.)
Apparently the basis of his diet was carrion. He could not play the role of a giant eagle. The fact is that when diving from a height at high speed, a bird of this size has a high probability of crashing. In addition, the paws of Argentavis are poorly adapted to grasping prey, and are similar to the paws of American vultures, and not to falcons, whose paws are perfectly adapted for this purpose. In addition, Argentavis probably sometimes attacked small animals, as modern vultures do.
Lived from 10 to 5 million years ago
Thalassocnus (lat. Thalassocnus) is an extinct genus of sloths that led an aquatic or semi-aquatic lifestyle in South America. These animals apparently fed on seaweed and coastal grass, using their powerful claws to grip the seabed while feeding - much like marine iguanas do today.
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