Prehistoric animals (41 photos). Ancient animals of the earth Message about ancient animal predators

In prehistoric times, there lived some of the largest and most terrible predators that have ever existed on Earth. Some relied on their incredible strength or speed, while others used the element of surprise to satisfy their hunger. Despite these dissimilar styles of hunting, each of these hunters had an inherent general characteristics- they were one of the most the best hunters in my time. These 25 Amazing Prehistoric Predators Had Their Own Special Hunting Methods That Kept Them On Top the food chain.

25. Megalania

The Megalania is by far the largest known land reptile to have ever existed. It is believed that she had glands in her mouth that produced toxins, making her relatively poisonous.

24. Titanoboa


Titanoboa, which means "titanic boa (boa)", currently holds the title of the most large snake that ever lived on earth. It is believed that it reached a length of up to 15 meters. The snake lunged at its prey, wrapping itself around its prey and squeezing it to death.

23. Sarcosuchus (Sarcosuchus)


Sarcosuchus was similar to modern crocodiles in that it spent most of its time waiting, completely submerged. He was not particularly picky about his prey, as he would ambush unsuspecting prey that he could overpower.

22. Smilodon


Smilodon, commonly referred to as the saber-toothed tiger, is known for its two extra-long fangs. It is believed that he mainly relied on ambush hunting, pouncing on large herbivores and digging his fangs into prey in order to hit the vital organs.

21. Pterygotus (Pterygotus)


Despite its small size compared to others prehistoric predators, Pterygotus was one of the best predators in shallow water sea ​​waters. He relied on surprise attacks to capture prey. He would bury himself in the sand and wait for an unsuspecting fish to swim past him to grab it with his claws.

20. Cameroceras


Cameroceras relied on his sense of smell to hunt prey in the dark depths of the ocean. Like squids, they firmly grabbed their prey with their tentacles, after which they tore the prey into pieces with a sharp beak.

19. Plesiosaurus (Plesiosaurus)


Plesiosaurus was recognizable by its small head, long neck, and stocky body. Despite the fact that he lacked the ideal traits of an apex predator, plesiosaurs ate various kinds fish and cephalopods.

18. Thylacoleo


Despite its name meaning "marsupial lion", the thylacoleo was actually a carnivorous marsupial. It is believed that he killed his prey and lifted the carcasses to the trees with his strength, powerful jaws and sharp claws.

17. Giganotosaurus (Giganotosaurus)


Giganotosaurus was large and fast, but compared to other similar prehistoric animals, it lacked bite power. This, however, did not stop him on the way to the title of one of the best predators of his time.

16. Basilosaurus (Basilosaurus)


Basilosaurus had incredibly small fins compared to the rest of its body, and paleontologists believe it moved through the water like moray eels and eels. Despite its shortcomings, Basilosaurus easily fed on sharks and other fish.

15. Gorgonops (Gorgonops)


Gorgonops was recognizable by its two very large fangs, similar to those of saber-toothed cats. He used these teeth in the same way - piercing the thick skins of his prey. The location of the Gorgonops' legs directly under its body also allowed it to chase prey at high speed.

14. Dacosaurus (Dakosaurus)


Dacosaurus, whose name means "biting reptile", dominated the shallow seas during the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. It is believed that its wide jaw and jagged teeth were used to tear pieces of meat from prey.

13. Tyrannosaurus (Tyrannosaurus)


Probably the most known species dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex is known for its massive skull and small forelimbs. Its keen eyesight and sense of smell allowed it to survive both as a scavenger and a predator.

12. Ornithosuchus (Ornithosuchus)


Ornithosuchus, whose name means "bird crocodile", was similar in structure and characteristics to a crocodile. Unlike the crocodile, it was able to run on its hind legs, allowing it to run at a higher speed.

11. Megalodon (Megalodon)


Megalodon, comparable to the great white shark, was one of the most fearsome marine predators ever to swim in the seas of the Earth. Its size, power and speed allowed it to dominate the ancient oceans. His diet consisted mainly of large prehistoric whales, as well as any other creatures that came into his mouth.

10. Kronosaurus


Kronosaurus used its strength and power to swim quickly and easily in ocean waters. It is believed that he quenched his appetite with the help of plesiosaurs and sea ​​turtles.

9. Carnotaurus


Kranotaur got its name, meaning "carnivorous bull", from two distinct horns on its head. He relied on quick, consistent attacks to weaken his prey.

8. Liopleurodon (Liopleurodon)


Liopleurodon, whose name means "smooth-sided tooth", had a body that allowed it to develop speed quickly. This made it possible to quickly attack prey, which did not have time to react to the attack.

7. Utahraptor (Utahraptor)


As you might guess from the name, Utahraptor was discovered in Utah. One of its most distinctive characteristics is the large second thumb on each of its hind legs. Utahraptors used this finger as a weapon for inflicting deep wounds, gutting and tearing their prey.

6. Allosaurus (Allosaurus)


Allosaurus, whose name means "other lizard", had a strong skull but small teeth. This led paleontologists to conclude that allosaurs used their upper jaws to attack their prey like an axe.

5. Quetzalcoatl (Quetzalcoatlus)


Quetzalcoatl, whose wingspan was about 15 meters, was one of the largest flying animals of all time. Most recent finds indicate that it was similar in its feeding habits to storks and herons. Paleontologists believe that he landed in order to hunt land creatures. Now he would not have problems with feeding, because you can buy compound feed quite easily.

4. Tylosaurus (Tylosaurus)


Tylosaurus was a large oceanic predator similar to an aquatic lizard. It is believed that he used his blunt snout to crash and stun his prey, after which the victim remained helpless in the water.

3. Koolasuchus


Kulazukh was a large amphibian with a massive head. The amphibian lived in aquatic environment habitats, preying on fish, mollusks and even small mammals approaching the kulazuh during a watering place.

2. Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus)


Spinosaurus is mostly recognizable due to its unique combination of physical traits, such as its long, thin skull and "fin" on its back. Paleontologists believe it used its elongated jaw to hunt fish and other small land prey.

1. Dunkleosteus


Dunkleosteus was unique marine predator due to the fact that he had no teeth. Instead, it had bone plates that turned its mouth into what looked like a sea turtle's beak. This allowed him to attack prey, which was protected from predators with a layer of reinforced skin.

Mammoth Columbus- one of the largest mammoths that ever existed on earth, a relative of the more common woolly mammoth. The remains of Colombian mammoths were found on the way from Canada to Mexico. The famous woolly mammoths left their traces in North Asia, Russia, Canada. Their main difference is that the Colombian mammoths were practically not covered with wool, which brings them closer to modern elephants, and their tusks were much larger than those of woolly mammoths.

The growth of Colombian mammoths was approximately 3-4 m, and the weight reached 5-10 tons. Colombian mammoths are the owners of the largest tusks among the elephant family. 3.5 in length, rounded, incredibly strong, they were used to fight all predators, including humans.

Giant sloths. Today, the sloth is one of the cutest creatures, photos with which are gaining millions of “likes” on social networks. Their ancient ancestors did not seem so charming.

Several species of giant sloths are known. Those that lived in North America were the size of rhinos, and ancient man may have often dined on them. However, the largest of the giant sloths, Megatheria, lived in South Africa about 10 thousand years ago and were no smaller than an elephant. About 6 m from head to tail, weighing 4 tons, with sharp teeth and long nails, sloths seemed to be quite formidable animals. Moreover, there is an assumption that they were predators.

The last species of giant sloths lived in the Caribbean about 4.2 thousand years ago.

Gigantopithecus the largest primate ever to stomp the earth. This relative of orangutans deserved its name: the three-meter animal weighed 500 kg and was huge even for the prehistoric world. Interestingly, Gigantopithecus is very similar to images of the Yeti. True, Gigantopithecus died out 100 thousand years ago. In addition, if then the giant primates did not even think of hiding from people, then it is unlikely that any of them are now hiding in the highlands, scaring tourists under the guise of a Bigfoot.

Gigantopithecus lived on Earth for about 6-9 million years, eating the fruits of Southeast Asia. But with climate change, tropical forests turned into arid savannahs, and Gigantopithecus began to die out from lack of food.

cave hyena reached 1 m in height at the shoulders and weighed from 80 to 100 kg. According to calculations based on fossil studies, the cave hyena was able to knock down a 5-year-old mastodon, which weighed a whole ton.

Cave hyenas lived in packs, sometimes consisting of 30 individuals. This made them stronger hunters: together they could attack a 9-year-old mastodon weighing all 9 tons. Needless to say, a person hardly dreamed of meeting a flock of hungry hyenas.

The population of cave hyenas began to decline 20 thousand years ago and finally disappeared 11-13 thousand years ago. As one of the reasons that influenced the extinction of cave hyenas, scientists suggest a struggle with humans for cave space during the last ice age.

Smilodon- an extinct genus of saber-toothed cats, contrary to stereotypes, having little in common with saber-toothed tigers.

Saber-toothed cats first appeared 42 million years ago. There were many species of them, most of which died out before the appearance of man. However, at least two species of saber-toothed cats could be found by primitive man in America. They were the size of modern African lion and weighed like an Amur tiger.

Smilodon was an incredibly strong animal - he could easily attack a mammoth. Smilodon used a special tactic: at first, he waited for prey, approached imperceptibly and quickly attacked.

Despite its "saber-toothed", smilodon among cats is not the most powerful bite. So, the bite of a modern lion is perhaps three times stronger. But on the other hand, the mouth of the smilodon swung open at 120 degrees, which is half the capabilities of the current lion.

dire wolf- no, “terrible” is not an epithet here, but the name of a species of wolves that lived in North America. Dire wolves appeared about a quarter of a million years ago. They are similar to modern gray wolves, but much more hardy. Their length reached 1.5 m, and their weight was about 90 kg.

The dire wolf's bite force was 29% stronger than the bite force gray wolf. Their main diet was horses. Like many other carnivores, the dire wolf died out 10,000 years ago during the last ice age.

american lion, despite the name "lion", was closer to the modern panther than to the lion. American lions inhabited the territory of North America about 330 thousand years ago.

The American lion is the largest known wild cat in history. On average, an individual weighed about 350 kg, was incredibly strong and easily attacked a bison. So even a group of primitive people would not be thrilled to meet one of the American lions. Like previous companions, American lions became extinct during the last ice age.

Megalania- the largest lizard known to science - lived in Australia and began to disappear about 50 thousand years ago, that is, at the same time as a person began to populate the continent.

The size of megalania is the subject of scientific debate. According to some data, its length reached 7 m, but there is an opinion that the average length was about 3.5 m. But not only the size is important: megalania was a poisonous lizard. If her victim did not die from blood loss, then she certainly died from poisoning - in any case, hardly anyone managed to escape alive from the mouth of megalania.

short-faced bear- one of those types of bears that primitive man could encounter. The ancient bear was about 1.5 meters at the shoulders, but as soon as he stood on his hind legs, he stretched up to 4 meters. If this doesn’t sound scary enough, then add this detail: thanks to long limbs, the bear developed speeds of up to 64 km / h. And this means that Hussein Bolt, whose record is 45 km / h, would have easily got him for dinner.

Giant short-faced bears were one of the largest carnivores in North America. They appeared about 800 thousand years ago, and died out 11.6 thousand years ago.

quincans, land crocodiles appeared quite a long time ago - 1.6 million ago in Australia. The giant ancestors of crocodiles reached 7 m in length. Unlike crocodiles, Quincans lived and hunted on land. In this they were helped by long powerful legs to catch up with prey at great distances, and sharp teeth. The fact is that crocodiles use their teeth mainly to capture the victim, drag her water and drown. The teeth of the land Quincan were intended for killing, they dug in and literally cut the victim. Quincans died out about 50 thousand years ago, having lived for about 10 thousand years side by side with primitive man.

Your attention is invited to 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 have disappeared from our planet forever.

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 an elephant, except that it did not have a trunk, which was occupied by huge jaws. Platybelodon died out by the end of the Miocene, about 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. He probably weighed about 3.5-4.5 tons. There were two pairs of tusks in the mouth. The upper tusks were rounded in cross section, as in modern elephants, while the lower tusks were flattened and spade-shaped. With its spade-shaped lower tusks, Platybelodon rummaged through the ground in search of roots or tore the bark from trees.

Pakicet

Lived about 48 million years ago

Pakicetus (lat. Pakicetus) is an extinct predatory mammal belonging to the archaeocetes. The most ancient of the now known predecessors of the modern whale, adapted to search for food in the water. Lived in what is now Pakistan. This primitive "whale" was still amphibious, like a modern otter. The ear had already begun to adapt to hear under water, but could not yet withstand a lot of pressure. It had powerful jaws that betrayed a predator, close-set eyes and a muscular tail. The sharp teeth were adapted to grasp 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 ice age. Inhabited Eurasia, from the British Isles to China, preferred open landscapes with sparse woody vegetation. The bighorn deer was about the size of a modern elk. The head of the male was decorated with colossal horns, greatly expanded at the top in the form of a spade with several processes, with a span of 200 to 400 cm, and weighing up to 40 kg. There is no consensus among scholars as to what led to the emergence of such huge and apparently inconvenient jewelry for the wearer. It is likely that the luxurious horns of males, intended for tournament fights and attracting females, pretty much 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

Lived 36-30 million years ago

Arsinotherium (lat. Arsinoitherium) is an ungulate that lived about 36-30 million years ago. Reached a length of 3.5 meters and was 1.75 m high at the withers. Outwardly, it resembled a modern rhinoceros, but retained all five fingers on the front and hind legs. His "special feature" were huge, massive horns, which did not consist of keratin, but of a bone-like substance, and a pair of small outgrowths of the frontal bone. Remains of Arsinotherium are known from the Lower Oligocene deposits of northern Africa (Egypt).

Astrapoteria

Lived from 60 to 10 million years

Astrapotherium (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 Astrapotheria order. They were quite large animals - their body length reached 290 cm, their height was 140 cm, and their weight, apparently, reached 700 - 800 kg.

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 is subtropical with a swampy forest, similar to modern southern Florida. They probably fed on roots, leaves, tree bark, and also did not disdain small animals and carrion. They were distinguished by the presence of frightening fangs - sabers, on a huge, almost half a meter skull. In general, they were powerful beasts, with a weight of 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 teniodonts that lived during the Middle Eocene in North America. Teniodonts were among the fastest growing mammals after the extinction of the dinosaurs. They are probably related to the ancient primitive insectivorous animals, from which they apparently originated. The largest representatives, such as Stylinodon, reached the size of a pig or a 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 teniodonts 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

Pantolambda (lat. Pantolambda) is a relatively large North American pantodont, the size of a sheep, who lived in the middle of the Paleocene. The oldest member of the squad. Pantodonts are related to early ungulates. Probably the diet of pantolambda was varied and not very specialized. The menu included shoots and leaves, mushrooms and fruits, which could be supplemented with insects, worms, or carrion.

Quabebihyraxes

Lived 3 million years ago

Kvabebigiraksy (lat. Kvabebihyrax kachethicus) is a genus of very large fossil hyraxes of the pliogiracid 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. Perhaps it was in the aquatic environment that the quabebigirax sought protection at the moment of danger.

Coryphodon

Lived 55 million years ago

Coryphodons (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 epoch, and then migrated to the territory of modern North America. The height of the corphodon was about a meter, and the weight was about 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, possessing a very small brain and characterized by a very imperfect structure of teeth and limbs, could not coexist for a long time with the new, more progressive ungulates that took their place.

Celodonts

Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago

Celodonts (lat. Coelodonta antiquitatis) are fossil woolly rhinos that have adapted to life in arid and cool conditions in 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 scruff and an elongated skull bearing two horns. The length of their massive body reached 3.2 - 4.3 m, the height at the withers - 1.4 - 2 meters. characteristic feature of these animals was a well-developed woolly cover that protected them from low temperatures and cold winds. A 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 an object of hunting for Neanderthals about 70 thousand years ago.

Embolotherium

Lived from 36 to 23 million years ago

Embolotherium (lat. Embolotherium ergilense) - representatives of the detachment of odd-toed. These are large land mammals that were larger than rhinos. The group was widely represented in savannah landscapes Central Asia and North America mainly in the Oligocene. Growth from a big African elephant under 4 meters at the withers, the animal weighed about 7 tons.

Palorchesta

Lived from 15 million to 40 thousand years ago

Palorchest (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 the arrival of man in Australia. Reached 1 meter at the withers. The muzzle of the animal ended in a small proboscis, for which the Palorchests are called marsupial tapirs, to which they are a bit similar. In fact, palorchest 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. Most characteristic difference these animals - bone "horns". It is not known whether they were covered with a cornea, as in modern cattle, but it is obvious that the antlers did not change annually, like those of deer. Synthetoceras belonged to the extinct North American family of calluses (Protoceratidae), and is believed to have been related to camels.

Meriterium

Lived from 35 to 23 million years ago

Meriterium (lat. Moeritherium) is the oldest known representative of the proboscis. It was the size of a tapir and apparently looked like 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 fed on plants and algae. According to recent data, modern elephants had distant ancestors who lived mainly in the water.

Deinotherium

Lived from 20 to 2 million years ago

Deinotherium (lat. 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, growth 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.

Stegotetrabelodon

Lived from 20 to 5 million years ago

Stegotetrabelodon (lat. Stegotetrabelodon) is a representative of the Elephantidae family, which means that the elephants themselves used to have 4 well-developed tusks each. The lower jaw was longer than the upper, but the tusks were shorter. At the end of the Miocene (5 million years ago), proboscideans began to lose their lower tusks.

Andrewsarchus

Lived from 45 to 36 million years ago

Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus), perhaps the largest extinct terrestrial predatory mammal that lived in the era of the middle - late Eocene in Central Asia. Andrewsarchus is represented as a long-bodied and 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 heads and shorter legs, then the body length could reach up to 3.5 meters (without a 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.

Amphicyonidae

Lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago

Amphicyonids (lat. Amphicyon major) or dog bears are widespread in Europe and western Turkey. In the proportions of the Amphicyonids, bearish and catlike features were mixed. Its remains have been found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. Average weight male Amphicyonids was 210 kg, and females - 120 kg (almost like modern lions). The Amphicyonid was an active predator, and its teeth were well adapted for gnawing bones.

giant sloths

Lived from 35 million to 10 thousand years ago

Giant sloths - a group of several different types of sloths, distinguished by their especially large size. They originated 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 did not live on trees, but on the ground. They were clumsy, slow animals with a low, narrow skull and very little brain matter. Despite his big weight, the animal stood on its hind legs and, leaning with its forelimbs on a 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. Humans settled the American continent between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago, and the last giant sloths disappeared from the mainland about 10,000 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) - the largest short-faced bear, known 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.

Wintatherium

Lived from 52 to 37 million years ago

Wintatherium (lat. Uintatherium) is a mammal from the order dinocerate. The most characteristic feature is three pairs of horn-like outgrowths on the roof of the skull (parietal and maxillary bones), more developed in males. The outgrowths 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.

Toxodon

Lived from 3.6 million to 13 thousand years ago

Toxodon (lat. Toxodon) - the largest representatives 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 a rhinoceros. The height at the shoulders was about 1.5 meters, and the length was about 2.7 meters (excluding the short tail).

The marsupial saber-toothed tiger or tilacosmil (lat. Thylacosmilus atrox) is a predatory marsupial of the Sparassodonta order that lived in the Miocene (10 million years ago). Reached the size of a jaguar. On the skull, the upper fangs are clearly visible, constantly growing, with huge roots continuing into the frontal region and long protective “lobes” on the lower jaw. The upper incisors are absent.

Presumably hunted large herbivores. Thylacosmila is often called the 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.

Sarcastodon

Lived about 35 million years ago

Sarkastodon (lat. Sarkastodon mongoliensis) is one of the largest land mammal predators of all time. This huge oxyenid lived in Central Asia. The skull of a sarcastodon found in Mongolia is about 53 cm long, and the width at the zygomatic arches is about 38 cm. The length of the body, excluding the tail, apparently was 2.65 meters.

Sarcastodon looked like a cross between a cat and a bear, only under a ton of weight. Perhaps he led a bear-like lifestyle, but was much more carnivorous, did not disdain carrion, driving away weaker predators.

Fororakosy

Lived 23 million years ago

Terrible birds (as the fororakos are sometimes called), who lived 23 million years ago. They differed from their counterparts in a massive skull and beak. Their growth 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 the skull was rather fragile in the transverse direction. This means that the phororacos 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 of the terrible bird, most likely, was the marsupial saber-toothed tiger (Thylacosmilus). Scientists believe that these two predators were at the top of the food chain at one time. Thylacosmilus was the stronger animal, but the paraphornis outran him 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 (Baleares, Spain), which received the name Giant Menorcan Hare (lat. Nuralagus rex). The size of a dog, he 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 auricles, which did not allow him to see and hear well - he did not have to fear an attack, because. the island was not large predators. In addition, scientists believe that due to the reduced paws and stiffness of the spine, the “king of rabbits” lost the ability to jump and moved on land with an exceptionally small step.

megistotherium

Lived from 20 to 15 million years ago

Megistotherium (lat. Megistotherium osteothlastes) is a giant hyenodontid that lived in the early and middle Miocene. It is considered one of the largest land predator mammals that has ever existed. Its fossil remains have been found in the Eastern, North East Africa and in South Asia.

The length of the body with the head was about 4 m + the length of the tail, presumably 1.6 m, the height at the withers was up to 2 meters. The weight of megistotherium is estimated at 880-1400 kg.

woolly mammoth

Lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand 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. Summer wool was significantly shorter and less dense. They were most likely painted in 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 more than modern elephants. However, they were much more massive than elephants, reaching a weight of up to 8 tons. A notable difference from the living Proboscis species was the strongly curved tusks, a distinctive outgrowth on the top of the skull, a high hump, and a steeply sloping hindquarters. 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 woolly northern mammoths, there were also southern ones without wool. In particular, the Colombian mammoth (lat. Mammuthus columbi), which was one of the largest representatives of the elephant family that ever existed. The height at the withers in adult males reached 4.5 m, and their weight was about 10 tons. It was closely related to the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and was in contact with it at the northern border of its range. Lived in the wide expanses of North America. Most northern places finds are located in southern Canada, the most southern - in Mexico. It fed mainly on 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 mating season. Mothers protected mammoths from large predators, which was not always successful, as evidenced by the finds of hundreds of mammoth cubs 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

Kubanochoerus (lat. Kubanochoerus robustus) - major representative families of pigs of the artiodactyl order. Skull length 680 mm. The facial part is strongly elongated and twice as long as the medulla. Distinctive feature this animal - the presence of horn-shaped 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 this weapon during ritual fights between males, as African wild boars do today. The upper fangs are large, rounded, curved upwards, the lower ones are trihedral. In terms of size, the 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) - an extinct genus great apes, who 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 humans species Homo erectus, which began to penetrate into Asia from Africa. Fossil evidence suggests that the Gigantopithecus was the largest primate of all time. They were probably herbivores and moved 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 is distinguished, Gigantopithecus giganteus.

Although it is not entirely 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 from now existing species is an 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 has ever lived on Earth. Diprotodon belongs to the Australian megafauna - a group unusual species who 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 found along with the skeletons of the cubs that were once in the bag. 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 man on the mainland was one of the reasons for the disappearance of marsupial hippos.

Deodon

Lived about 20 million years ago

Deodon (lat. Daeodon) is an Asian entelodont who migrated to North America around the end of the Oligocene era. "Giant pigs" or "hogwolves" were four-legged, land-dwelling omnivores with massive jaws and teeth that enabled them to crush and eat large animals, including bones. With a growth of more than 2 meters at the withers, it took food from smaller predators.

Chalicotherium

Lived from 40 to 3.5 million years ago

Chalicotherium. Chalicotheriaceae are a family of equids. They lived from the Eocene to the Pliocene (40-3.5 million years ago). Reached the size of a large horse, which they probably were somewhat similar in appearance. Possessed long neck and long front legs, four-toed or three-toed. The fingers ended in large split talons, which were not hooves, but thick claws.

barylambda

Lived 60 million years ago

Barylambda (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-shaped claws. She ate shrubs and leaves. There is an assumption that barylambda occupied an ecological niche similar to ground sloths, while the tail served as a third fulcrum.

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-cm tail and weighed from 225 to 400 kg. With the size of a lion, its weight exceeded the weight Amur tiger due to a stocky physique atypical for modern felines. The famous fangs reached 29 centimeters in length (together with the root), and, despite their fragility, they were powerful weapons.

A mammal of the genus Smilodon, which is incorrectly called a saber-toothed tiger. The largest saber-toothed cat of all time and the third largest member of the family, second in size only to the cave and American lions.

american lion

Lived from 300 thousand to 10 thousand years ago

American lion (lat. panthera leo spelaea) is an extinct subspecies of the lion that lived on the American continent in the Upper Pleistocene. 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 (Argentavis magnificens) is the largest flying bird in the history of the Earth, which lived in Argentina. It belonged to the now completely extinct family of teratorns, birds that are quite closely related to the 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.) Apparently, 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 the Argentavis are poorly adapted to grasping prey, and are similar to those of the American vultures, not the Falconiformes, whose paws are well adapted for this purpose. In addition, Argentavis probably sometimes attacked small animals, as modern vultures do.

Thalassocnus

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. Apparently, these animals fed on seaweed and coastal grasses, using their powerful claws to hold on to the bottom of the sea while feeding - in the same way that marine iguanas now behave.

Incredible Facts

modern ocean is home to many incredible creatures, many of which we have no idea. You never know what lies there - in the dark cold depths. However, none of them can be compared with the ancient monsters that dominated the world's oceans millions of years ago.

In this article, we will tell you about pangolins, carnivorous fish and predatory whales that terrorized marine life in prehistoric times.

prehistoric world

Megalodon

The Megalodon may be the most famous creature on this list, but it's hard to imagine that a school bus-sized shark actually existed. Nowadays, there are many different scientific films and programs about these amazing monsters.

Contrary to popular belief, megalodons did not live at the same time as dinosaurs. They dominated the seas from 25 to 1.5 million years ago, which means that they missed the last dinosaur by 40 million years. In addition, this means that the first people found these sea monsters alive.

The home of the megalodon was the warm ocean that existed until the last ice age in the early Pleistocene, and it is believed that it was he who deprived these huge sharks of food and the opportunity to breed. Perhaps in this way nature has protected modern humanity from terrible predators.

Liopleurodon

If there was a water scene in the Jurassic Park movie that included several sea monsters of the time, the Liopleurodon would definitely appear in it. Despite the fact that scientists argue about the real length of this animal (some claim that it reached 15 meters), most of them agree that it was about 6 meters, with the pointed head of Liopleurodon occupying a fifth of the length.

Many people think that 6 meters is not so much, but the smallest representative of these monsters is able to swallow an adult. Scientists have recreated a model of Liopleurodon's fins and tested them.

In the course of their research, they found that these prehistoric animals were not so fast, but they were agile. They were also capable of making short, quick and sharp attacks, similar topics, which make modern crocodiles, which makes them even more awesome.

sea ​​monsters

Basilosaurus

Despite the name and appearance, they are not reptiles, as it might seem at first glance. In fact, these are real whales (and not the most intimidating in this squeak!). Basilosaurus were the predatory ancestors of modern whales and ranged from 15 to 25 meters in length. It is described as a whale, somewhat resembling a snake due to its length and ability to squirm.

It is hard to imagine that, while swimming in the ocean, one could stumble upon a huge creature that looked like a snake, a whale and a crocodile at the same time 20 meters long. The fear of the ocean would stick with you for a long time.

Physical evidence suggests that basilosaurs did not have the same cognitive abilities as modern whales. In addition, they did not have the ability to echolocate and could only move in two dimensions (which means that they could not actively dive and dive to great depths). Thus, this terrible predator was as stupid as a bag of prehistoric tools and would not be able to follow you if you dived or made landfall.

Racoscorpions

No wonder the words "sea scorpion" evoke only negative emotions, however, this representative of the list was the most creepy of them. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae is special kind crustaceans, which was the largest and most fearsome arthropod of the time: 2.5 meters of pure clawed horror under the shell.

Many of us are terrified of small ants or large spiders, but imagine the full range of fear experienced by a person who would not be lucky enough to meet this sea monster.

On the other hand, these creepy creatures became extinct even before the event that killed all dinosaurs and 90% of life on Earth. Only some types of crabs survived, which are not so scary. There is no evidence that the ancient sea scorpions were venomous, but based on the structure of their tail, it can be concluded that this may indeed have been the case.

See also: A huge sea monster washed up on the coast of Indonesia

prehistoric animals

Mauisaurus

Mauisaurus was named after ancient god Maori Maui, who, according to legend, pulled the skeleton of New Zealand from the bottom of the ocean with a hook, so that only by the name you can understand that this animal was huge. The neck of the Mauisaurus was about 15 meters long, which is quite a lot compared to its total length of 20 meters.

His incredible neck had many vertebrae, which gave it a special flexibility. Imagine a turtle without a shell with a surprisingly long neck - this is what this terrible creature looked like.

He lived during Cretaceous, which meant that the unfortunate creatures that jumped into the water to escape the velociraptors and tyrannosaurs were forced to face these sea monsters. The habitats of the Mauisaurs were limited to the waters of New Zealand, which indicated that all the inhabitants were in danger.

Dunkleosteus

Dunkleosteus was a ten-meter predatory monster. Huge sharks lived much longer than dunkleostei, but this did not mean that they were the best predators. Instead of teeth, Dunkleosteus had bony growths, like some species of modern turtles. Scientists have calculated that their bite force was 1500 kilograms per square centimeter, which put them on par with crocodiles and tyrannosaurs and made them one of the creatures with the strongest bite.

Based on the facts about their jaw muscles, scientists concluded that the Dunkleosteus could open its mouth in one fiftieth of a second, absorbing everything in its path. As the fish matured, the single bony tooth plate was replaced by a segmented one, which made it easier to get food and bite through the thick shells of other fish. In the arms race called the prehistoric ocean, the Dunkleosteus was a real well-armoured, heavy tank.

Sea monsters and monsters of the deep

Kronosaurus

Kronosaurus is another short-necked lizard that looks like a Liopleurosaurus. Remarkably, its true length is also known only approximately. It is believed that it reached up to 10 meters, and its teeth reached up to 30 cm in length. That is why it was named after Kronos, the king of the ancient Greek titans.

Now guess where this monster lived. If your assumption was related to Australia, then you are absolutely right. The head of the Kronosaurus was about 3 meters long and it was able to swallow an entire adult human. In addition, after that, there was room inside the animal for another half.

Also, due to the fact that the flippers of kronosaurs were similar in structure to the flippers of a turtle, scientists concluded that they were very distantly related and assumed that kronosaurs also got out on land to lay their eggs. In any case, we can be sure that no one dared to ruin the nests of these sea monsters.

Helicoprion

This shark is 4.5 meters long lower jaw was a kind of curl, strewn with teeth. She looked like a hybrid shark with a buzz saw, and everyone knows that when dangerous power tools become part of a predator that is at the top of the food chain, the whole world trembles.

Helicoprion teeth were serrated, which clearly indicates the carnivorous nature of this sea ​​monster, however, scientists still do not know for certain whether the jaw was so pushed forward, as in the photo, or slightly pushed deep into the mouth.

These creatures survived the Triassic mass extinction, which could indicate their high intelligence, but the reason could also be their living in the deep sea.

prehistoric sea monsters

Leviathan Melvilla

Earlier in this article we already talked about predatory whales. Melville's Leviathan is the most intimidating of them all. Imagine a huge orca-sperm whale hybrid. This monster was not just carnivorous - it killed and ate other whales. It had the largest teeth of any animal known to us.

Their length sometimes reached 37 centimeters! They lived in the same oceans at the same time and ate the same food as megalodons, thus competing with the largest predatory shark of the time.

Their huge head was equipped with the same sonar devices as modern whales, which made their hunting more successful in muddy water. If it was not clear to someone from the very beginning, this animal was named after Leviathan - a giant sea ​​monster from the Bible and Herman Melville, who wrote the famous "Moby Dick". If Moby Dick were one of the Leviathans, he would certainly eat the Pequod with his entire crew.

1. Jellyfish

2. Nautilus

3. Horseshoe crabs

It was not difficult for them to survive all the known global catastrophes, practically without changing outwardly. Horseshoe crabs can rightfully be called "blue-blooded" animals. Their blood, unlike ours, has a blue color, because it is saturated with copper, and not with iron, like human.
Horseshoe crab blood has amazing properties- when it reacts with microbes, clots are formed. It is in this way that horseshoe crabs make a barrier against microbes. A reagent is made from the blood of horseshoe crabs and medicines are checked for purity with its help.

4. Neopilins

5. Latimeria

6 Sharks

For example, shark teeth grow throughout their lives, most big sharks can reach 18 meters in length. Sharks have a wonderful sense of smell - they smell blood at a distance of hundreds of meters. Sharks practically do not feel pain, because their body produces a kind of "opium", which dulls pain.

Sharks are amazingly adaptable. For example, if there is not enough oxygen, they can “turn off” part of the brain and consume less energy. Sharks can also regulate water salinity by producing special means. The vision of a shark is several times better than that of cats. In dirty water, they see up to 15 meters away.

7. Cockroaches

Cockroaches can live for some time without a head - because 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 for their height. And their incredible endurance is evidenced by the fact that they withstand radiation radiation almost 13 times more than a person.

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

8. Crocodiles

Crocodiles are amazing animals. They don't seem to do anything for nothing. To facilitate the digestion of food, crocodiles swallow stones. It also helps them dive deeper.

In the blood of a crocodile there is a natural antibiotic that helps them not to get sick. Their average life expectancy is 50 years, but some individuals can live up to 100 years. Crocodiles are not trainable, and they can be considered the most dangerous animals on the planet.

9. Shields

10 Turtles

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

11. Hatteria

Tuatara is similar to an iguana or lizard. But this is just a resemblance. Tuataria established a separate detachment - beakheads. This animal has a "third eye" on the back of its head. Hatterias have slowed down metabolic processes, so they grow very slowly, but they easily live up to 100 years.

12. Spiders

The web could not be made artificially in any laboratory. And those spiders that were sent into space spun a three-dimensional web.
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 - half a millimeter.

13. Ants

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 is engaged in its own business.

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! And they are amazingly smart - ants can train their fellows to find food.

14. Platypuses

Platypuses are excellent swimmers, they easily get their own food from the river bottom with the help of their beak. Platypuses spend almost 10 hours a day underwater.
Platypuses failed to breed in captivity, and in wild nature today there are quite a few of them left. Therefore, animals are listed in the International Red Book.

15. Echidna

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