15.03.2020

The most amazing extinct animals. Ancient animals of the earth What animals lived in the primitive world

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

Platybelodon became extinct towards the end of the Miocene, approximately 6 million years ago, and today there is no animal with such unusual shape mouth 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) - extinct carnivorous mammal, related to 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 high pressure. He had powerful jaws, giving him away as a predator, his close-set eyes and 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, 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.

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

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

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 hard plant foods(tubers, rhizomes, etc.), which was 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 is in aquatic environment quabebigirax sought protection in a moment of danger.

Lived 55 million years ago

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. These are the big ones land mammals, larger than rhinoceroses. The group was widely represented in savannah landscapes Central Asia and North America mainly in the Oligocene.

tall African elephant under 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 these animals have 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, 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.

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

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, famous on given time. 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. Most characteristic- three pairs of horn-like outgrowths 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, 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 the top 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 was not on the island large predators. 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

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 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

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) - 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 could coexist with humans species Homo erectus, which 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.

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 largest mammals 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

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.

What ancient animals have survived to this day, and what do we know about them? On the pages of our site we have already talked about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals that once inhabited our planet, but have now become extinct.

Are there really any dinosaurs’ contemporaries that have survived to this day?! Today we will present to your attention 25 of the most real “living fossils”.

Shchiten

A freshwater crustacean similar to a small horseshoe crab. Over the past 70 million years, its prehistoric morphology has undergone almost no changes, almost no different from the ancestors of the shieldfish, which inhabited the earth about 220 million years ago.

24. Lamprey

Jawless fish. It has a funnel-like suction cup mouth. Occasionally they burrow their teeth into the bodies of other fish, sucking blood, but the majority of the 38 species of this fish do not do this.

The most ancient remains of this fish date back to 360 million years ago.

23. Sandhill crane

Endemic to North-Eastern Siberia and North America, it is a heavy and large bird, weighing up to 4.5 kilograms. Presumably the oldest representative of this species, the fossils of which have been found, lived 10 million years ago in Nebraska.

22. Sturgeon

Living in lakes, rivers and coastal waters, subarctic, temperate and subtropical sturgeon are sometimes called “primitive fish”. The reason for this is that the morphological characteristics of the sturgeon have remained virtually unchanged. In any case, the oldest fossils of the sturgeon are practically no different from its modern descendants, despite the passage of 220 million years.

True, as sad as it may be, pollution environment, over-fishing has put these unique fish to the point of complete extinction, and some species of sturgeon are practically beyond recovery.

21. Giant Chinese salamander

The largest amphibian, the length of which can reach 1.8 m. It represents the family of cryptobranchs that appeared 170 million years ago. Like the sturgeon, it is on the verge of extinction.

The cause is habitat loss, overfishing and pollution. Like many others rare species used by the Chinese for food and used for dubious purposes Chinese medicine.

20. Martian Ant

It lives in the tropical forests of Brazil and the Amazon. It belongs to the oldest genus of ants and is about 120 million years old.

19. Brownie Shark

The body length of this fish can reach 4 meters. A very rare and poorly studied species of deep-sea shark. The eerie and unusual appearance indicates prehistoric roots. Apparently, its first ancestors lived on Earth already 125 million years ago. Despite its terrifying appearance and size, it is absolutely safe for people.

18. Horseshoe crab

A marine arthropod that lives primarily in shallow ocean waters on soft muddy or sandy bottoms. Considered the closest relative of the trilobite, it is one of the best-known living fossils, remaining virtually unchanged in 450 million years.

17. Echidna

Like the platypus, the echidna remains the only oviparous mammals. Its ancestors separated from the platypus about 48-19 million years ago. The common ancestor of both led an aquatic lifestyle, but echidnas adapted to life on land. Due to her appearance she was named after the "Mother of Monsters" from ancient greek mythology.

16. Hatteria

The endemic tuataria from New Zealand can reach a length of 80 cm, distinguished by a spiny crest along the back, which is especially pronounced in males. However, despite the obvious similarities with modern reptiles and lizards, the body structure of the tuataria has remained unchanged for two hundred million years. In this regard, hatteria are extremely important for science, since they can help in the study of the evolution of both snakes and lizards.

15. Frilled shark

Frilled sharks live in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans at depths of fifty to two hundred meters. Like the goblin shark, the frilled shark has an extremely fearsome appearance.

This lineage has existed for at least 95 million years (since the end of the Cretaceous period). It is possible that frilled sharks may be 150 million years old (late Jurassic).

The frilled shark is a living fossil that belongs to one of the oldest surviving lineages of sharks.

14. Vulture turtle

The snapping turtle lives mostly in the waters adjacent to the southeastern United States. Belongs to one of two surviving families of Cayman turtles.

This prehistoric turtle family has a centuries-old fossil history that dates back to the Maastrichtian Stage of the Late Cretaceous period (72-66 million years ago). The snapping turtle can weigh up to 180 kilograms, making it the heaviest freshwater turtle in the world.

13. Coelacanth

A genus of fish endemic to the coastal waters of Indonesia, which includes two living species of the coelacanth family. Until 1938, coelacanths were considered extinct until they were rediscovered.

Oddly enough, coelacanths are more closely related to mammals, reptiles and lungfish than with other ray-finned fish. Presumably, the coelacanth acquired its current form about 400 million years ago.

The coelacanth is endemic to Indonesian waters.

12. Giant freshwater stingray

The giant freshwater stingray is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, growing in diameter to almost two meters. Its weight can reach up to six hundred kilograms. According to research, its oval disc pectoral fin formed about 100 million years ago.

Like most of the animal kingdom mentioned in this article, the giant freshwater stingray is on the verge of complete extinction due to over-capture for display in aquariums, sale for meat, and due to pollution of the animal’s habitat.

11. Nautilus

A pelagic mollusk that lives in the central-west region of the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Prefers deep slopes of coral reefs. Judging by the fossil remains, nautiluses managed to survive five hundred million years, during which several eras changed on earth and several events occurred. mass extinctions. Of course, nautiluses, too, having existed for half a billion years and survived the most severe cataclysms, may not be able to withstand the most terrible (and this is not an exaggeration) of the evils that our planet has ever encountered - man. It is on the verge of extinction due to overfishing and human pollution of the environment.

10. Medusa

They live in all oceans from depths of the sea to the surface. Presumably, they appeared in the seas about 700 million years ago. In view of this, jellyfish can be called the most ancient multi-organ animals. This is probably the only animal on this list whose numbers could increase significantly due to overfishing of natural enemies of jellyfish. At the same time, some species of jellyfish are also on the verge of extinction.

9. Platypus

An oviparous mammal with the feet of an otter, the tail of a beaver and a duck's beak. Very often it is called the most bizarre animal in the world. In light of this, it is not surprising that the roots of the platypus go back to prehistoric wilds.

On the one hand, the oldest platypus fossil is only 100,000 years old, but the first platypus ancestor roamed the supercontinent Gondwanaland about 170 million years ago.

8. Long-eared jumper

This small four-legged mammal is widespread throughout the African continent and resembles possums or some small rodents in appearance. However, oddly enough, they are much closer to elephants than to possums. The first ancestors of the long-eared jumper lived on earth already during the Paleogene period (about 66-23 million years ago).

7. Pelican

Oddly enough, this large waterfowl with a long, heavy beak is one of the living fossils that has undergone virtually no changes since the prehistoric period. The genus of these birds has existed for at least 30 million years.

The oldest fossilized skeleton of a pelican was found in France in early Oligocene deposits. Outwardly, it is almost indistinguishable from modern pelicans, and its beak is morphologically identical to the beaks of modern birds of this genus.

Pelicans are one of the few birds that have not changed since prehistoric times.

6. Mississippi Shellfish

One of the largest North American freshwater fish. Often called a living fossil or "primitive fish" due to the preservation of a number of morphological characteristics of its most ancient ancestors. In particular, these characteristics include the ability to breathe in both water and air, as well as a spiral valve. Paleontologists trace the existence of the carapace back 100 million years.

The Mississippi shellfish is a primitive fish.

5. Sponge

Duration of existence sea sponges on our planet are quite difficult to trace, since estimates of their age vary widely, but the oldest fossil to date is approximately 60 million years old.

4. Slithertooth

A poisonous, burrowing, nocturnal mammal. It is endemic to several Caribbean countries and is often called a living fossil, which is not at all surprising, since over the past 76 million years it has undergone virtually no changes.

3. Crocodiles

Unlike most of the animals on this list, the crocodile actually looks like a dinosaur. In addition to crocodiles, mention should be made of gharial crocodiles, gharials, caimans and alligators. This group appeared on our planet about 250 million years ago. This happened early Triassic period, and the descendants of these creatures still carry a lot of morphological features formed by their distant ancestors.

2. Dwarf whale

Until 2012, the dwarf whale was considered an extinct animal, but since it still survived, it is still considered the smallest representative of the baleen whales. Because this animal is very rare, extremely little is known about both its population and its social behavior. But it is known for sure that the dwarf whale is a descendant of the cetotherium family, which is part of the suborder of baleen whales and which existed from the late Oligocene to the late Pleistocene (28-1 million years ago).

1.Black-bellied disc-tongue frog

As it turns out, living fossils can also be found among such a seemingly completely prosaic creature as a frog. Like the aforementioned pygmy whale, this black-bellied frog was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in 2011.

It was initially thought that the black-bellied disc-tongued frog had existed for only 15 millennia, but using phylogenetic analysis, scientists were able to calculate that the last direct ancestor of this unique animal was a jumper. earth's surface about 32 million years ago. This makes the black-bellied disc-tongue frog not just a living fossil, but also the only representative of its genus to survive to this day.

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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 different species of sloths, notable for their particularly large sizes. 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. 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 of the 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, 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.

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 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. 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), perhaps the largest extinct terrestrial predatory mammal that lived during 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. 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. 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. 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 a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg. The woolly mammoth lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand years ago.

Gigantopithecus (lat. Gigantopithecus)- 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. Gigantopithecus lived from 9 to 1 million years ago.

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. Big elephants with a duck's mouth (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 relatives of boa constrictors and anacondas, which kill victims with their suffocating rings.

Titanoboa were not only the most big 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 most big birds ever existed. 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, a sharp beak 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 scary creatures of anyone who has 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, 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 existed. Megalodon could swallow a bus whole.

We offer you a large overview of prehistoric animals that 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.

Platybelodon

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 in many ways similar to the elephant, except that it did not have a trunk, which was replaced by huge jaws. Platybelodon became extinct towards the end of the Miocene, about 6 million years ago, and no animal with such an unusual mouth shape exists today. Platybelodon had a dense build and reached 3 meters at the withers. It probably weighed about 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.

Pakicetus

Lived about 48 million years ago

Pakicetus (lat. Pakicetus) is an extinct predatory mammal belonging to the archaeocetes. The most ancient of the currently known predecessors of the modern whale, adapted to searching for food in the 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 high 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.

Bighorn deer (Megaloceros)

Lived 300 thousand years ago

Megaloceros (lat. Megaloceros giganteus) or big-horned deer, appeared about 300 thousand years ago and died out at the end of the 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, 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.

Arsinotherium

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. 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).

Astrapoteria

Lived from 60 to 10 million years

Titanoides

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.

Stilinodon

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 medium-sized 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.

Pantolambda

Lived about 60 million years ago

Kvabebigiraksy

Lived 3 million years ago

Kvabebihyrax kachethicus is a genus of very large fossil hyraxes of the pliohyracid family. They 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.

Coryphodons

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.

Celodonts

Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago

Coelodonta (lat. Coelodonta antiquitatis) are fossil woolly rhinoceroses that 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.

Embolotherium

Lived from 36 to 23 million years ago

Embolotherium (lat. Embolotherium ergilense) are representatives of the order of odd-toed animals. These are large land mammals, larger than rhinoceroses. The group was widely represented in the savanna 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.

Palorchestes

Lived from 15 million to 40 thousand years ago

Palorchestes (lat. Palorchestes azael) is 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.

Synthetoceras

Lived from 10 to 5 million years ago

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.

Meritherium

Lived from 35 to 23 million years ago

Meriteria (lat. Moeritherium) is the oldest known representative of proboscis. It was the size of a tapir and probably resembled this animal in appearance, 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.

Deinotherium

Lived from 20 to 2 million years ago

Stegotetrabelodon

Lived from 20 to 5 million years ago

Andrewsarch

Lived from 45 to 36 million years ago

Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus) is perhaps the largest extinct terrestrial predatory mammal that 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.

Amphicyonids

Lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago

Amphicyonids (lat. Amphicyon major) or dog-bears are 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.

Giant sloths

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.

Arctotherium

Lived from 2 million to 500 thousand years ago

Arctotherium (lat. Arctotherium angustidens) is the largest short-faced bear known at this time. 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) it was the largest predator on the planet.

Uintatherium

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.

Toxodon

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).

The marsupial saber-toothed tiger or Thylacosmilus (lat. Thylacosmilus atrox) is a predatory marsupial animal 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.

Sarcastodon

Lived about 35 million years ago

Sarkastodon (lat. Sarkastodon mongoliensis) is 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 a cross between a cat and a bear, only weighing a ton. 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.

Fororakos

Lived 23 million years ago

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.

Giant Minorcan hare

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 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 rabbits” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps.

Megistotherium

Lived from 20 to 15 million years ago

Woolly Mammoth

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, 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 a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg.

Columbian mammoth

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.

Cubanochoerus

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.

Gigantopithecus

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.

Marsupial hippopotamus

Lived from 1.6 million to 40 thousand years ago

Diprotodon (lat. Diprotodon) or “marsupial hippopotamus” is the largest known marsupial that ever lived 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.

Chalicotherium

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). They reached the size of a large horse, which they were probably somewhat similar in appearance to. 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.

Barylambda

Lived 60 million years ago

Barylambda faberi is a primitive pantodont. It 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.

Smilodon (saber-toothed tiger)

Lived from 2.5 million to 10 thousand years BC. e. 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.

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 lion and American lion.

American lion

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 is the largest cat in history, only Smilodon had the same weight, although it was smaller in linear dimensions

Argentavis

Lived from 8 to 5 million years ago

Argentavis magnificens is 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 among existing birds - 3.25 m.) Obviously, the basis of its 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.

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