Prehistoric mammals are giant animals that lived on Earth millions of years ago and disappeared from our planet forever.

Giant sloths- a group of several various types sloths, which were 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 his heavy weight, the animal stood on its hind legs and, leaning its forelimbs on the tree trunk, took out 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. Giant sloths lived from 35 million to 10 thousand years ago.

Megaloceros (lat. Megaloceros giganteus) or big-horned deer, appeared about 300 thousand years ago and died out at the end ice age. Inhabited Eurasia, from the British Isles to China, preferring open landscapes with sparse tree vegetation. The big-horned deer was the size of a modern elk. 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, greatly interfered with 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.

Arsinotherium (lat. Arsinoitherium)- 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. Outwardly, it resembled a modern rhinoceros, but retained all five toes on its 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). Arsinotherium lived 36-30 million years ago.

Coelodonta antiquitatis- fossil 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 These animals had a well-developed woolly cover that 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. Celodonts Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago.

Palorchestes (lat. Palorchestes azael)- a genus of marsupials that lived in Australia in the Miocene and became extinct in the Pleistocene about 40 thousand years ago, after humans arrived 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. The Palorchestes lived from 15 million to 40 thousand years ago.

Deinotherium giganteum- the largest land 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. Deinotherium lived from 20 to 2 million years ago.

Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus), possibly the 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, assuming relatively big sizes head and shorter leg length, then the body length could reach up to 3.5 meters (without the 1.5 meter tail), the height at the shoulders - up to 1.6 meters. Weight could reach 1 ton. Andrewsarchus is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls. Andrewsarchus lived from 45 to 36 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 dog features. His remains were found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. Average weight Amphicyonid males weighed 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. Amphicyonids lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago.

Terrible Birds(sometimes called fororakosov), 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. Fororakos lived 23 million years ago.

In the family hares (Leporidae), also had their giants. In 2005, a giant hare was described from the island of Menorca (Balearics, Spain), which received the name Giant Menorcan hare (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 hares” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps. The giant Minorcan hare lived from 7 to 5 million years ago.

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, reaching a weight of 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 maximum length 4.2 m and weight 84 kg. The woolly mammoth lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand years ago.

Gigantopithecus (lat. Gigantopithecus)- extinct genus great apes, 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 among the main reasons were climate change and competition for food sources from other, more adaptable species - pandas and people. Closest relative from now existing species is an orangutan, although some experts consider Gigantopithecus to be closer to gorillas. Gigantopithecus lived from 9 to 1 million years ago.

Millions of years ago the world was different. It was inhabited by prehistoric animals, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Dinosaurs, sea predators of monstrous size, giant birds, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers - they have long disappeared, but interest in them does not fade.

The first inhabitants of the planet

When did the first living creatures appear on Earth? More than three and a half billion years ago, single-celled organisms arose.

It took as much as two billion years before multicellular living organisms appeared. Approximately 635 million years ago, the Earth was inhabited, and at the beginning of the Cambrian period, by vertebrates.

The most ancient remains of living organisms found to date date back to the late Neoproterozoic.

During the Cambrian period, life existed only in the seas. Prominent representatives The prehistoric animals of that time were trilobites.

Due to frequent underwater landslides, many living organisms were buried in the mud and survived to this day. Thanks to this, scientists have a fairly complete picture of the structure and lifestyle of trilobites and other ancient marine inhabitants.

Prehistoric animals actively developed on land and in the sea. The first inhabitants of wet places on the Earth's surface are arthroplasties and centipedes. In the mid-Devonian, amphibians joined them.

Ancient insects

Having appeared in the early Devonian period, insects successfully developed. Many species have disappeared over time. Some of them were gigantic in size.

Meganeura belonged to the genus of dragonfly-like insects. Its wingspan was up to 75 centimeters. She was a predator.

Ancient insects have been studied quite well. And ordinary tree resin helped scientists with this. Hundreds of millions of years ago, it flowed down tree trunks and became a death trap for careless insects.

They have been perfectly preserved in their original transparent sarcophagi to this day. Thanks to amber, into which fossilized resin has turned, today anyone can admire the ancient inhabitants of our planet.

Prehistoric sea animals - dangerous giants

During the Triassic period, the first marine reptiles appeared. They could not, like fish, live completely underwater. They needed oxygen, and they periodically rose to the surface. Outwardly, they looked like land dinosaurs, but differed in their limbs - sea inhabitants had fins or webbed feet.

The first to appear were nothosaurs, which reached a size of 3 to 6 meters, and placodes, which had three types of teeth. Placodus were small in size (about 2 meters) and lived close to the shore. Their main food was shellfish. Nothosaurs ate fish.

The Jurassic period is the era of giants. Plesiosaurs lived at this time. The largest species reached a length of 15 meters. These include Elasmosaurus, which had a surprisingly long neck (8 meters). Head, compared to massive body, was small. Elasmosaurus had a wide mouth armed with sharp teeth.

Ichthyosaurs - large reptiles that averaged 2-4 meters in length - were similar to modern dolphins. Their feature is huge eyes, which indicates a nocturnal lifestyle. They, unlike dinosaurs, had skin without scales. It is assumed that ichthyosaurs were excellent deep-sea divers.

More than forty million years ago there lived Basilosaurus, an ancient whale of enormous size. The length of a male individual could reach 21 meters. It was the largest predator of its time and could attack other whales. Basilosaurus had a very long skeleton and moved by bending its spine, like a snake. It had vestigial hind limbs 60 centimeters long.

Marine prehistoric animals were very diverse. Among them are ancestors modern sharks and crocodiles. The most famous sea predator ancient world is a megalodon, reaching 16-20 meters in length. This giant weighed about 50 tons. Since the skeleton of this shark consisted of cartilage, nothing survived except the animal's enamel-covered teeth. It is assumed that the distance between the open jaws of the megalodon reached two meters. It could easily fit two people.

No less dangerous predators There were also prehistoric crocodiles.

Purussaurus is an extinct relative of modern caimans that lived approximately eight million years ago. Length - up to 15 meters.

Deinosuchus is a crocodile from the alligator genus that lived at the end of the Cretaceous period. Outwardly, it was not much different from modern representatives of the species. The body length reached 15 meters.

The most terrible: ancient lizards

Dinosaurs and other prehistoric sizes continue to amaze. It is difficult to imagine that such giants once reigned on the planet.

The Mesozoic era is the time of dinosaurs. Appearing at the end of the Triassic, they became the main form of life in the Jurassic and suddenly disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous.

The species diversity of these ancient lizards is amazing. Among them were terrestrial and aquatic species, flying species, herbivores and predators. They also differed in size. Most dinosaurs were huge, but there were also very small dinosaurs. Among predators, Spinosaurus stood out especially for its size. The length of his body ranged from 14 to 18 meters, height - eight meters. With its elongated jaws it resembled modern crocodiles. Therefore, it is assumed that he led an amphibious lifestyle. A special feature of Spinosaurus was the presence of a spinal ridge that resembled a sail. It made him seem taller. Paleontologists believe that the sail was used by the animal for thermoregulation.

Ancient birds

Prehistoric animals (photos can be seen in the article) were also represented by flying lizards and birds.

Pterosaurs appeared in the Mesozoic. Presumably, the largest of them was Ornithocheirus, which had wings with a span of up to 15 meters. He lived in Cretaceous period, was a predator and preferred to hunt big fish. Pteranodon is another large flying predatory lizard of the Cretaceous period.

Among prehistoric birds, Gastornis was striking in its size. The two-meter-tall individuals had a beak that could easily break bones. It is not precisely established whether this extinct bird was a predator or consumed plant food.

Fororakos - predatory bird, who lived in the Miocene. The height reached 2.5 meters. Its curved, sharp beak and powerful claws made it dangerous.

Extinct animals of the Cenozoic era

It began 66 million years ago. During this time, thousands of species of living beings appeared and disappeared on Earth. What were the most interesting extinct prehistoric animals of that time?

Megatherium - largest mammal of that era, it is assumed that it was a herbivore, but it is possible that megatherium could kill other animals or feed on carrion.

Woolly rhinoceros - was covered with thick red-brown hair.

Mammoth is the most famous extinct species of elephant. Animals lived two million years ago and were twice as large as modern representatives of their species. Many remains of mammoths have been found, very well preserved thanks to permafrost. By historical standards, these majestic giants became extinct quite recently - about 10 thousand years ago.

Of the predatory prehistoric animals, the most interesting is the Smilodon, or saber-toothed tiger. It did not exceed the size Amur tiger, but he had incredibly long fangs, reaching 28 centimeters. Another feature of Smilodon was its short tail.

Titanoboa is an extinct giant snake. A close relative of the modern boa constrictor. The length of the animal could reach 13 meters.

Documentary films about prehistoric animals

Among them we can note such as “Sea Dinosaurs: Journey into the Prehistoric World”, “Land of the Mammoths”, “ Last days Dinosaurs", "Prehistoric Chronicles", "Walking with Dinosaurs". There are a lot of good documentaries created about the life of ancient animals.

“The Ballad of Big Al” - the amazing story of one Allosaurus

This film is part of the famous Walking with Dinosaurs series. He talks about how a perfectly preserved skeleton of an Allosaurus was found in the USA, which scientists named Big Al. The bones showed how many fractures and injuries the dinosaur suffered, and this made it possible to reconstruct the history of its life.

Conclusion

Prehistoric animals (dinosaurs, mammoths, cave bears, sea giants) that lived in the distant past still amaze the human imagination today. They are clear proof of how amazing the Earth's past was.

We all know from school that many ancient animals that once inhabited the planet have long since become extinct. But did you know that there are now animals on Earth that saw dinosaurs? And then there are animals that have been around longer than the trees these dinosaurs ate the leaves from. However, many of these ancient representatives of the fauna have remained virtually unchanged over the millions of years of their existence. Who are these old-timers on our Earth and what is so special about them?

1. Jellyfish

The first place in our “rating” is rightfully occupied by jellyfish. Scientists believe that jellyfish appeared on earth about 600 million years ago.
The most big jellyfish, which the man caught, had a diameter of 2.3 meters. Jellyfish do not live long, about a year, because they are a delicacy for fish. Scientists are puzzling over how jellyfish perceive nerve impulses from the organs of vision, because they do not have a brain.

2. Nautilus

Nautiluses have lived on Earth for more than 500 million years. These are cephalopods. Females and males differ in size. The nautilus shell is divided into chambers. The mollusk itself lives in the largest chamber, and uses the remaining compartments, filling or pumping out with biogas, as a float for diving to depth.

3. Horseshoe crabs

These marine arthropods are rightfully considered living fossils, because they have lived on Earth for more than 450 million years. To give an idea of ​​how long this is, horseshoe crabs are older than trees.

It was not difficult for them to survive all the known global catastrophes, practically unchanged in appearance. Horseshoe crabs can rightfully be called “blue-blooded” animals. Their blood, unlike ours, is blue, because it is saturated with copper, and not iron, like human blood.
The blood of horseshoe crabs has amazing properties - when it reacts with microbes, clots are formed. This is how horseshoe crabs create a barrier against germs. A reagent is made from the blood of horseshoe crabs and used to test medications for purity.

4. Neopilins

Neopilina is a mollusk that has lived on Earth for approximately 400 million years. He has not changed in appearance. Neopilins live on great depths in the oceans.

5. Coelacanth

Coelacanth is a modern fossil animal that appeared on our planet approximately 400 million years ago. Over the entire period of its existence, it has remained virtually unchanged. On this moment Coelacanth is on the verge of extinction, so catching these fish is strictly prohibited.

6. Sharks

Sharks have existed on Earth for more than 400 million years. Sharks are very interesting animals. People have been exploring them for many years and never cease to be amazed at their uniqueness.

For example, a shark’s teeth grow throughout its life, the most big sharks can reach 18 meters in length. Sharks have an excellent sense of smell - they can smell blood at a distance of hundreds of meters. Sharks practically do not feel pain, because their body produces a certain “opium” that dulls pain.

Sharks are amazingly adaptable. For example, if there is not enough oxygen, they can “shut down” part of the brain and use less energy. Sharks can also regulate the salinity of water by developing special means. Shark vision is several times better than that of cats. In dirty water they can see up to 15 meters away.

7. Cockroaches

These are real old-timers on Earth. Scientists say that cockroaches have inhabited the planet for more than 340 million years. They are hardy, unpretentious and fast - this is what helped them survive during the most turbulent periods of history on Earth.

Cockroaches can live for some time without a head - after all, they breathe with the cells of the body. They are excellent runners. Some cockroaches run about 75 cm in a second. This is a very good result relative to their height. And their incredible endurance is evidenced by the fact that they can withstand radiation almost 13 times more than humans.

Cockroaches can live without water for about a month, without water for a week. Their female retains the male's seed for some time and can fertilize herself.

8. Crocodiles

Crocodiles appeared on Earth about 250 million years ago. Surprisingly, crocodiles first lived on land, but then they liked to spend a significant part of their time in the water.

Crocodiles are amazing animals. They don't seem to do anything for nothing. To make food easier to digest, crocodiles swallow stones. This also helps them dive deeper.

There is a natural antibiotic in the crocodile's blood that helps them not get sick. Average duration Their lifespan is 50 years, but some individuals can live up to 100 years. Crocodiles cannot be trained and can be considered the most dangerous animals on the planet.

9. Shchitni

Shchitni appeared on Earth during the period of dinosaurs approximately 230 million years ago. They live almost all over the world, except Antarctica.
Surprisingly, the shields have not changed in appearance, they only became smaller in size. The largest scale insects were found measuring 11 cm, the smallest - 2 cm. If the scale insects are hungry, cannibalism is possible among them.

10. Turtles

Turtles inhabited the Earth approximately 220 million years ago. Turtles differ from their ancient ancestors in that they have no teeth and have learned to hide their heads. Turtles can be considered long-lived. They live up to 100 years. They see, hear, and have a keen sense of smell. Turtles remember human faces.

If the temperature in the nest where the female laid eggs is high, females will be born; if it is low, only males will be born.

11. Hatteria

Hatteria is a reptile that appeared on Earth more than 220 million years ago. Now the tuataria live in New Zealand.

Hatteria looks like an iguana or lizard. But this is just a similarity. Hatterias established a separate detachment - beak-headed. This animal has a "third eye" on the back of its head. Tuttaria have slow metabolic processes, so they grow very slowly, but they can easily live up to 100 years.

12. Spiders

Spiders have lived on Earth for more than 165 million years. The oldest web was found in amber. Her age became 100 million years. A female spider can lay several thousand eggs at a time - this is one of the factors that has helped them survive to this day. Spiders have no bones; their soft tissues are covered by a hard exoskeleton.

The web could not be made artificially in any laboratory. And those spiders that were sent into space spun three-dimensional webs.
It is known that some spiders can live up to 30 years. Biggest famous spider has a length of almost 30 cm, and the smallest is half a millimeter.

13. Ants

Ants are amazing animals. It is believed that they have lived on our planet for more than 130 million years, while practically not changing their appearance.

Ants are very smart, strong and organized animals. We can say that they have their own civilization. They have order in everything - they are divided into three castes, each of which does its own thing.

Ants are very good at adapting to circumstances. Their population is the largest on Earth. To imagine how many there are, imagine that there are about a million ants per inhabitant of the planet. Ants are also long-lived. Sometimes queens can live up to 20 years! They are also amazingly smart - ants can teach their fellows to look for food.

14. Platypuses

Platypuses have lived on Earth for more than 110 million years. Scientists suggest that at first these animals lived in South America, but then they got to Australia. In the 18th century, the skin of platypuses was first seen in Europe and was considered... a fake.

Platypuses are excellent swimmers; they easily obtain food from the river bottom using their beaks. Platypuses spend almost 10 hours a day underwater.
Platypuses could not be bred in captivity, but in wildlife Today there are quite a few of them left. Therefore, animals are listed in the International Red Book.

15. Echidna

The echidna can be called the same age as the platypus, because it has inhabited the Earth for 110 million years.
Echidnas look like hedgehogs. They boldly guard their territory, but when in danger they burrow into the ground, leaving only a bunch of needles on the surface.
The echidna does not have sweat glands. In hot weather they move little; in cold weather they can hibernate, thus regulating their heat exchange. Echidnas are long-lived. In nature they live up to 16 years, and in zoos they can live up to 45 years.

I wonder if a person can live on Earth for that long?

Nowadays, people are more or less aware of what animals, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. fill our planet. However, not everyone knows what creatures inhabited the Earth many years ago. I invite you to take a fascinating virtual mini-excursion into the world of prehistoric fauna.

Archeopteryx

This amazing creature of the late Jurassic period was the size of a crow and occupied an intermediate position in morphology between reptiles and birds.

Deinocheirus

This lizard is interesting because so far only individual fragments spine and almost complete forelimbs. But what kind of paws are these! Each is about 2.5 meters long, and the claws are 25 centimeters each.

Deinotherium

This is a very interesting representative of the order Proboscidea, which lived from the mid-Miocene to the early Pleistocene. This animal gives inspiration to directors and special effects specialists. You can often see fantasy series for free with similar “little animals”. The unusual proportions of the animal are striking - a relatively short body with a highly raised front part, developed forelimbs and a powerful shoulder girdle, as well as a relatively small skull.

Dimorphodon

A distant relative of all types of birds with wings. The ancient flying dinosaur was believed to have been a predator, but judging by its small size, it fed mainly on fish and insects.

Dunkleosteus

Giant prehistoric predatory fish.

Elasmosaurus

A long-necked plesiosaur, whose length reached 13 meters.

Epidendrosaurus

First of famous dinosaurs, adapted to life in trees. Its most strange feature is its unusually long third finger, which is 2 times longer than the neighboring ones. Perhaps he used them to dig up insects.

Epidexipteryx

The dinosaur, covered with feathers, was considered the most ancient bird, although it has nothing to do with modern birds. It did not have flying feathers, but it had long tail feathers. They were probably used in mating dances.

Hallucigenia

The invertebrate fossil from the class Xenusia is worm-like in appearance, with two rows of stilted legs and dorsal spines.

Helicoprion

Fish belonging to the cartilaginous genus distinctive feature which is the dental spiral.

Jackelopterus

The giant sea scorpion is one of the largest arthropods ever discovered.

Josephoartigasia

The largest rodent that ever lived on Earth. Its body length is about 53 centimeters, and its huge front incisors are 30 centimeters. They protruded almost a third beyond the skull and, probably, these ancient rodents could have used them as weapons.

Liopleurodon

Large carnivorous reptile of the late Jurassic period. According to modern data, it is the largest predator that has lived on Earth.

Longisquama

A distinctive feature of this reptile was its long dorsal scale-like appendages.

Megalania

The largest of known to science ground lizards.

Micropator

Today, this is the only four-winged creature of nature known to mankind.

Nyctosaurus

Medium sized pterosaur characteristic feature which had missing fingers of the upper limb, with the exception of the flight finger of the wing.

Opabinia

This creature could swim in case of danger, bending its body and flapping its blades.

Fororakos

One of the earliest gliding lizards and, perhaps, the most ridiculous among them. Attached to its hind legs, and possibly its front legs, were elastic membranes of skin that could stretch to form wings.

Stethacanth

One of ancient sharks, differing from all existing and extinct counterparts by the presence on the head of a “helmet” of small teeth.

Tanystropheus

This reptile supposedly reached 6 meters in length and spent most of its time in water.

Therizinosaurus

The family of mysterious theropods was distinguished long necks and huge claws, but unlike other theropods, they were herbivores.

in the 21st century we are afraid of such dangerous animals as wild cats, reptiles, poisonous insects, sharks, etc. But how lucky we are that history did not bring us together with these terrible creatures below:

15 Estemmenosuchus

There are no other animals like this. Estemmenosuchus is probably one of the most unusual prehistoric monsters. They belong to the Deinocephali group. Despite their appearance as a true dinosaur, they were more closely related to mammals. The fossilized remains of Estemmenosuchus were found in Russia. They lived in the Permian period, long before the dinosaurs appeared.

14 Acrophyseter

This is an ancient relative of the sperm whale, which, as we know, is enormous in size, eats a lot of shellfish and never attacks a person without provocation. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the acrophyseter. What was this dinosaur? It was medium in size and did not feed on shellfish, but on other sea animals and even sharks! His teeth were terrible deadly weapon, so Acrophyseter was nicknamed the killer of sperm whales. His remains were found in Peru. He lived during the Miocene period, which was rich in various large sea creatures such as giant dolphins, huge sharks and even monster penguins.

13 Gigantopithecus

His name speaks for itself. It was a huge ape, related to the orangutan, that lived in the bamboo thickets, jungles and mountains of China, India and Vietnam during the Pleistocene. Gigantopithecus were vegetarians, grew up to 3 m and weighed up to 550 kg! They were very strong, which helped them protect themselves from predators. Gigantopithecus went extinct 300,000 years ago, most likely due to hunting early people or due to climate change. Of course, to all fans Bigfoot I like to think that Gigantopithecus somehow survived in remote parts of the Himalayas and that there is still hope of seeing him.

12 Epicyon

He can be described as a giant pit bull on steroids. He belonged to the canine family, but if modern dogs imply speed and endurance, then Epicyon has enormous strength. He had such powerful jaws that he could crush bones like a nut! This monster rules the plains North America 15 million years, after which it gave way to big cats (including the saber-toothed tiger).

11 Edestus

Today's white sharks have the most terrible teeth in nature, but their distant prehistoric relative Edestus was so terrible that the shark is small in comparison gold fish. Edestus was about 7 m long. However, scientists still don't know how he used his amazing teeth. Unlike the shark, they did not fall out at all. Instead, the new teeth pushed the old ones out of the mouth, and thus the gums and teeth protruded from the mouth like monstrous scissors. Edestus could easily bite the victim in half! Just like that!

10 Gorgonops

These were the top predators in the late Permian period, before the dinosaurs arrived. Gorgonops has deadly saber-shaped teeth, which it uses to hunt the largest Permian herbivores, the size of a rhinoceros or even larger. Gorgonops were quite agile and could move at high speed. Despite their reptilian appearance, they are more closely related to mammals and may even have been covered in fur!

9 Terror Bird

Known as fororacotes, these birds were the top predators in South America and parts of North America during the Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. Then they were replaced big cats and other carnivorous mammals. Fororacosids could not fly, but they ran very fast (according to some scientists, as fast as a cheetah!). They were very large, up to 3 m in height and weighing up to half a ton! Their main weapon was a head up to 1 m long, which allowed them to swallow whole prey the size of a dog. But the worst thing is that thanks to their curved beak, the terrible birds could kill and eat an animal the size of a horse.

8 Madsoya

If anyone has a phobia of snakes, then this madsoya will be a real nightmare. Although only a few parts of this creature have been found, its length is estimated at 15-20 m! Madsoya lived during the Cretaceous period and may have even dined on dinosaurs. Just like the python, it is not poisonous, but it compresses to death with its coils. Madsoya disappeared 45 million years ago.

7 Purussaurus

It was a giant caiman that lived in the region of the modern Amazon. 8 million years ago, this region was a large inland sea teeming with crocodiles, gharials, freshwater whales, giant rodents and turtles. And among them, Purussaurus was the main predator, for which there are reasons: 12-15 m in length! Agree, not a little? The remains of other animals missing limbs or even half the body are further evidence of the good appetite of this giant caiman.

6 Entelodont

Although the pigs wild boars and hogs sometimes eat meat; they are considered vegetarians. On the other hand, the entelodont, a prehistoric relative of the pig, was a carnivore and perhaps one of the most terrifying mammals to ever exist. He was as tall as a man, had powerful jaws and sharp teeth. Scientists believe that entelodonts hunted themselves, but could also scare other predators away from their prey (which was not difficult). Numerous bites also indicate that entelodonts fought among themselves. It is possible that they were cannibals.

5 Azdarhid

It was a species of pterosaur (commonly known as pterodactyl), including the largest flying creatures that ever existed. Some specimens had a wingspan of 12-15 m! But what's really strange about the Azdarchids is their body proportions. They had amazing long legs, neck and beaks and very small bodies and short wings. Scientists believe that they did not fly in the sky, but hunted animals the size of dogs or even humans on the ground! Standing on all 4 legs, the largest azdarchids were as tall as a giraffe and a tyrannosaurus.

4 Pulmonoscorpion

Literally a breathing scorpion, it is very similar to the modern scorpion, but only up to 1 m long. It was armed with sharp claws and a poisonous sting. Of course, we don't know how poisonous it was, but most likely fatal! This predator ran through the forests Carboniferous period, where Scotland is now. By the way, during the Carboniferous period there also existed giant cockroaches the size of a cat, dragonflies the size of a hawk, and 3-meter centipedes. Basically, almost everything is the same, just a little more!

3 Xenosmilus

This is perhaps the most insidious of the cat family. The remains of this big cat were found in Florida along with the remains of many unlucky peccaries. Instead of strangling its prey or breaking its neck, as lions do, xenosmilus acted more like a shark or carnivorous dinosaur, tearing out the big piece flesh and causing great blood loss and shock within a second. It is unknown when this predator became extinct.

2 Megalodon

This is a well-known prehistoric monster. Megalodon was giant shark. It reached a length of 20 m and weighed 60 tons, making it 6 times larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Apparently, the only food that could feed the megalodon was whales. The predators themselves appeared many years after tyrannosaurs and others big creatures. Our ancestors did not see them, although megalodon was still around when the first australopithecus appeared.

1 Spinosaurus

They were even larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. The remains of this enormous predator were found in Egypt in 1915. Spinosaurs have been called the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of all time. This monster reached 17-18 m, weighed up to 10 tons and had a growth on its back larger than a person’s height. Its long, crocodile-like snout suggests that Spinosaurus spent a lot of time in the water and may have eaten a large number of fish. But it would be better if crocodiles, giant turtles and dinosaurs did not cross his path! While Tyrannosaurus Rex remains the most famous prehistoric monster of all time, Spinosaurus was and remains the largest predator on earth that we know of.