Prehistoric animals. The most famous prehistoric predators Ancient aquatic animals
Long before the appearance of people, who today occupy a dominant position among creatures, the planet was inhabited by real monsters. Fortunately or not, their existence for one reason or another turned out to be impermanent. It is worth noting that, perhaps, if they had not died out, then a person would not have had a chance to withstand such animals.
Argentavis lived 5-8 million years ago in Argentina. It weighed about 70 kg, had a height of 1.26 m, and its wingspan reached 7 m (which is twice the wingspan of the largest modern birds - albatrosses). The Argentavis skull was 45 cm long, and the humerus was more than half a meter long. All this makes Argentavis the largest flying bird known to science in the entire history of the Earth. It is close in size to the Cessna 152 airplane. This creature resembled a bald eagle with a wingspan of about 8 meters and feathers the size of a samurai sword. It was believed to float in the air like a glider and could reach speeds of 240 km/h. Experts still don't know exactly how this bird could take off and land.
Dunkleosteus was the largest of the prehistoric armored placoderm fish. Its head and chest were covered with an articulated armor plate. Instead of teeth, these fish had two pairs of sharp bony plates that formed a beak structure. Dunkleosteus was probably extirpated by other placoderms that had similar bony plates for protection, their jaws powerful enough to cut and pierce armored prey. One of the largest known specimens found was 10 meters long and weighed four tons, making it one of the fish you definitely don't want to catch on a spinning rod! This fish was completely indiscriminate in food; it ate fish, sharks, and even fish of its own family. But they probably suffered from indigestion caused by the fossilized remains of half-digested fish. Scientists from the University of Chicago concluded that Dunkleosteus had the second-strongest bite among fish. These giant armored fish became extinct during the transition from the Devonian to the Carboniferous period.
3. Cancerscorpio
This giant sea creature looked like a cross between a scorpion and a lobster, with a tapering tail and flat fins. Racoscorpions, although similar to modern scorpions, still belong to a different species - eurypterids. They lived on earth for many millions of years, but became extinct at the end of the Permian period. Early forms lived in shallow seas. About 325-299 million years ago, most of them switched to life in fresh water. This group included individuals that are considered the largest arthropods in the history of the planet. The body length of such creatures reached two and a half meters.
4. Andrewsarchus
Possibly 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.
5. Quetzalcoatlus
This creature is called one of the largest, if not the largest, of all who have ever roamed the heavens. Its name is associated with the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who was known in the form of a feathered serpent. The flying creature lived in the late Cretaceous period. It was a real king of the sky, with a wingspan of 12 meters and a height of almost 10. However, its weight was quite small - up to a hundredweight, thanks to its hollow bones. The creature had a pointed beak with which it collected food. The long jaws were not hampered by the lack of teeth, and the main food could be fish and the corpses of other dinosaurs. Fossils were first discovered in Big Bend Park, Texas, in 1971. It is believed that while on the ground, the four-legged animal was so strong that it could take off straight from its spot, without a run-up. It is, of course, difficult to compare this huge animal with modern ones. Since it was a pterosaur, it had no direct descendants. But at one time it was most associated with Pteranodon, which is already comparable to modern birds, in particular the marabou stork. Two facts bring them together - a larger than usual wingspan and a predilection for carrion as food.
His name speaks for itself. It was a huge ape, related to the orangutan, that lived in the bamboo thickets, jungles and mountains of China, India and Vietnam during the Pleistocene. Gigantopithecus grew up to 3 m and weighed up to 550 kg! They were very strong, which helped them protect themselves from predators. Gigantopithecus went extinct 300,000 years ago, most likely due to hunting by early humans or climate change. Of course, all Bigfoot lovers like to think that Gigantopithecus somehow survived in remote parts of the Himalayas and that there is still hope of seeing them.
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. It died out at the end of the Pliocene, unable to withstand competition with the first saber-toothed cats that settled the continent.
8. Helicoprion
This animal is famous for its unusual dental spiral. Helicoprion is believed to have lived during the Carboniferous period. Scientists believe that this fish was one of the few that survived the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. But at the end of the Triassic period the creature finally became extinct. Although few fish remains remain, scientists discovered an unusual dental helix and several jaw bones. With their help, possible images of the animal were recreated. What is certain is that he had teeth similar to a circular saw located on his lower jaw. There were so many teeth that the older ones were pushed into the middle, creating a new turn of the spiral. However, new theories say that the spiral could be located in the pharynx area, remaining invisible from the outside. This structure of the sea creature made it possible to hunt better. Thus, a spiral could be used to cut tentacles, injure fish, or dig up shellfish. The length of such unusual creatures reached 2-3 meters, based on the diameter of a typical spiral of 25 centimeters. True, there were also dental formations of 90 centimeters, which gives reason to believe that the length of helicoprions is up to 9-12 meters. Although the fish are very similar to the modern shark, they were primitive cartilaginous fish, close to the ancestors of modern marine predators.
Known as fororacotes, these birds were the top predators in South America and parts of North America during the Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. They were then replaced by big cats and other carnivorous mammals. Fororacos could not fly, but they ran very fast (according to some scientists, as fast as a cheetah). They were very large, up to 3 m in height and weighing up to half a ton! Their main weapon was a head up to 1 m long, which allowed them to swallow whole prey the size of a dog. But the worst thing is that thanks to their curved beak, the terrible birds could kill and eat an animal the size of a horse.
A giant hyaenodontid that lived in the early and middle Miocene (20-15 million years ago). It is considered one of the largest land mammal predators to ever exist. Its fossilized remains are 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 is presumably 1.6 m, the height at the withers is up to 2 m. The weight of Megistotherium is estimated at 880-1400 kg.
Unseen prehistoric animals
Prehistoric creatures. Ancient animals. Animals of the past.
Animals of the prehistoric period. Animals of the distant past.
Prehistoric animals that lived on different continents thousands and millions of years ago.
Remains of Platybelodon ( Platybelodon) were found for the first time only in 1920 in Miocene deposits (about 20 million years ago) of Asia. Descended from the 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, the place of which was taken by huge jaws.
Platybelodon went 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 approximately 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 apparently rummaged in the ground in search of roots or stripped bark from trees. Platybelodon belongs to the order of proboscis - Proboscidea, to the superfamily Elephantoidea, which in Russian can be formulated as elephant-shaped.
Pakicetus (Pakicetus) is an extinct predatory mammal belonging to the archaeocetes. The oldest known ancestor of the modern whale, it lived approximately 48 million years ago and adapted to foraging in water. Lived in the territory of modern Pakistan. This primitive “whale” still remained an amphibian, like the modern otter. The ear had already begun to adapt to hear underwater, but could not yet withstand the great pressure.
He had powerful jaws that marked him as a predator, close-set eyes and a muscular tail. The sharp teeth were adapted to grab slippery fish. He probably had webbing between his fingers. The main feature is that its ankle bones are most similar to those of pigs, sheep and hippos. The cranial bones are very similar to those of whales.
Arsinotherium (Arsinoitherium) - an ungulate that lived approximately 36-30 million years ago. Reached 3.5 m in length and 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).
Megaloceros (Megaloceros giganteus) or Bighorn 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.
Astrapoteria (Astrapotherium magnum) - 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 288 cm, height was 137 cm, and weight, apparently, reached 600 - 800 kg.
Titanoides (Titanoides) lived 60 million years ago on the American continent and were the first truly large mammals. The area where 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 (Stylinodon) is the most famous and last species of taeniodont, living about 45 million years ago during the Middle Eocene of 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 powerful claws. It is believed that they were the same active diggers and led a similar burrowing lifestyle.
Pantolambda (Pantolambda) is a relatively large North American pantodont, about the size of a sheep, that lived in the mid-Paleocene. The oldest representative of the order. Panthodonts evolved from Cimolestes and 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.
Coryphodons (Coryphodon) were widespread in the lower Eocene 55 million years ago, 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, where it probably replaced the native pantodont Barylambda. 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. Amblypods, as animals that 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.
Kvabebigiraksy (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, 3 million years ago. They were distinguished by their large size, the length of their massive body reached 1.5 m. The protrusion of the quabebigirax's eye sockets above the surface of the forehead, like a hippopotamus, indicates the ability of quabebigirax to hide in water. Perhaps it was in the aquatic environment that the Kwabeb hyrax sought protection in times of danger.
Celodonts (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, the height at the withers was 1.4–2 m.
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 (Embolotherium ergilense) - representatives of the family Brontotheriidae of the order Unpaired. These are large land mammals, larger than rhinoceroses. The group was widely represented in the savannah landscapes of Central Asia and North America, mainly in the Oligocene. The skull size of 125 cm of condylobasal length suggests the growth of Ergilensis from a large African elephant under 4 m at the withers and a weight of about 7 tons.
Palorchestes (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 wombats and koalas.
Synthetoceras (Synthetoceras tricornatus) lived in the Miocene, 5-10 million years ago, 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. Protoceratids looked completely different, although the structure of the lower parts of their limbs was similar to that of camels, which made it possible to place such different animals in one group.
Meritherium (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 m in length and 70 cm in height. Weighed approximately 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 (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 m, height at the withers reached 3-5 m (on average - 3.5-4 m), and weight could reach 8-10 tons. Outwardly, they resembled modern elephants , however, they differed from them in proportions.
Stegotetrabelodon (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. When the jaws closed, the lower tusks entered the gap between the upper ones. At the end of the Miocene (5 million years ago), proboscideans began to lose their lower tusks.
Andrewsarch (Andrewsarchus), perhaps the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammal. Andrewsarchus is represented as a long-bodied, short-legged beast with a huge head. The length of the skull is 834 mm, the width of the zygomatic arches is 560 mm, 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. The weight could reach one ton. Andrewsarchus is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls.
Amphicyonids (Amphicyon major) or dog-bears became widespread in Europe from the late Oligocene (2 million years ago). The proportions of Amphicyon major were a mixture of bear and cat features. Like bears, his remains were found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. The average weight of males of Amphicyon major is 212 kg, and females - 122 kg (almost the same as modern lions). Amphicyon major was an active predator, and its teeth were well adapted for crunching bones.
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.
Arctotherium (Arctotherium angustidens) is the largest short-faced bear known at this time. Representatives of this species reached 3.5 m in length and weighed about 1600 kg. The height at the withers reached 180 cm. Arctotherium angustidens 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 (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 outgrowths were covered with skin, like the ossicones of giraffes.
Toxodon (Toxodon) - the largest representative of the toxodont family (Toxodontidae) and the order Notoungulata, was endemic to 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).
Tilakosmil (Thylacosmilus atrox) is a predatory marsupial of the order Sparassodonta, which 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.
Sarcastodon (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, apparently, was 2.65 meters, excluding the tail. 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.
Mongoloterium (Prodinoceras Mongolotherium) is a species of mammal of the extinct order Dinocerata, family Uintatheridae. It is considered one of the most primitive representatives of the order.
Terrible Birds(sometimes called fororakosov), who lived 23 million years ago, differed from their fellows in their massive skull and beak. Their height reached three meters, and they 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.
In the hare family ( Leporidae), also had their giants. In 2005, a giant rabbit was described from the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) and given the name Nurogalus (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.
Nurogalus had relatively small eyes and ears, which did not allow him to see and hear well - he did not have to fear an attack, because. there were no large predators on the island. In addition, scientists believe that due to reduced paws and rigidity of the spine, the “king of rabbits” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps.
Megistotherium (Megistotherium osteothlastes) - a giant hyaenodontid that lived in the early and middle Miocene (20-15 million years ago). It is considered one of the largest land mammal predators to ever exist. Its fossilized remains are 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 is supposedly 1.6 m, the height at the withers is up to 2 m. The weight of Megistotherium is estimated at 880-1400 kg.
Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) appeared 300 thousand years ago in Siberia, from where it spread to North America and Europe. The mammoth was covered with coarse wool, up to 90 cm long. A layer of fat almost 10 cm thick served as additional thermal insulation. The summer coat was significantly shorter and less dense. They were most likely painted dark brown or black. With small ears and a short trunk compared to modern elephants, the woolly mammoth was well adapted to cold climates. Woolly mammoths were not as huge as is often assumed.
Adult males reached a height of 2.8 to 4 m, which is not much larger than modern elephants. However, they were significantly more massive than elephants, weighing up to 8 tons. A noticeable difference from living species of proboscis was the strongly curved tusks, a special growth on the top of the skull, a high hump and a steeply sloping rear part of the back. The tusks found to this day reached a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg. On average, however, they were 2.5 m long and weighed 45 kg.
In addition to the woolly northern mammoths, there were also southern ones without wool. In particular, the Columbian mammoth (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 six-hundredth mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and came into contact with 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 near Homotherium. The extinction of the Columbian mammoth occurred at the end of the Pleistocene about 10 thousand years ago.
Cubanochoerus (Kubanochoerus robustus) is a large representative of the pig family of the order Artiodactylae. Skull length 680 mm. The facial part is highly elongated and twice as long as 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 Belomechetskaya locality of the Middle Miocene in the North Caucasus.
Gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus) is an extinct genus of great 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 this Pleistocene, Gigantopithecus may have coexisted with Homo erectus, who began to enter 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.
Diprotodon (Diprotodon) or " marsupial hippopotamus" is the largest known marsupial to ever live on earth. Diprotodon belongs to the Australian megafauna, a group of unusual species that lived in Australia from approximately 1.6 million to 40 thousand years ago. 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 three meters in length and about two 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 last diprotodons became extinct already in historical times, and also that the appearance of humans on the mainland was one of the reasons for their disappearance.
Deodon (Daeodon) is an Asian entelodont that migrated to North America around the end of the Oligocene era (20 million years ago). "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 m at the withers, it took food from smaller predators.
Chalicotherium (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 (Barylambda faberi) - a primitive pantodont, lived 60 million years ago in America, was one of the largest mammals of the Paleocene. With a length of 2.5 m and a weight of 650 kg, Barylambda slowly moved on short powerful legs ending in five fingers with hoof-shaped 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.
Argentavis (Argentavis magnificens) is the largest flying bird known to science in the entire history of the Earth, which lived 5-8 million years ago in Argentina. It belonged to the now completely extinct family of teratorns, birds that are quite closely related to American vultures, with which it was part of the order of storks (Ciconiiformes).
Argentavis weighed about 60-80 kg, and its wingspan reached 8 m. (For comparison, the wandering albatross has the largest wingspan among existing birds - 3.25 m.) The Argentavis skull was 45 cm long, and the humerus was as long as more than half a meter. 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. Like American vultures, Argentavis's claws were likely relatively weak, but its beak was very powerful, allowing it to feed on dead animals of any size.
In addition, Argentavis probably sometimes attacked small animals, as modern vultures do.
Thalassocnus– incompletely edentate from the Miocene and Pliocene (10-5 million years ago) of South America. Probably led a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
The division of living beings into those who hunt and those who are hunted is perhaps the most ancient classification. Predators existed thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions and hundreds of millions of years ago - that is, throughout the existence of life itself. Therefore, it should not be a revelation to anyone that predators hunted under water, on land and in the air long before humans appeared on our planet. These are prehistoric predators.
Orthocons
Orthocones are cephalopods that lived in the seas of the Earth 450 million years ago and were the largest predators of their time. These were creatures measuring up to ten meters and weighing 200 kilograms, which hunted thanks to two main devices. Firstly, these were long tentacles with which the orthocons captured their victims; secondly, it was a long cone-shaped shell into which they collected water and then pushed it out with muscle force. Thanks to this jet engine, they could reach high speeds.
Armored fish
Armored fish of the genus Dunkleostea, who lived between 415 and 360 million years ago. These fish reached a length of ten meters and had massive, developed jaws equipped with bone plates. This adaptation allowed them to grind the shells of other armored fish. Scientists calculated that the jaws of fish of the genus Dunkleostea were comparable in pressure to the jaws of crocodiles, and the speed of closing the mouth was 20 milliseconds.
Ichthyosaurs
Ichthyosaurs are marine reptiles that lived between 250 and 90 million years ago, with an average size of four meters, but specimens measuring 23 meters have also been found. They were night hunters, so they had huge eyes (the diameter of one eye is 20 centimeters) for better vision in the dark. In addition, the teeth of ichthyosaurs were constantly replaced throughout their lives.
Liopleurodons
Liopleurodon is a reptile from the pliosaur genus that lived in the seas of the Earth 160-155 million years ago, one of the largest predators on the planet in history. The average size was up to seven meters, but there are confirmed cases of discovering the remains of individuals whose length exceeded 20 meters. Liopleurodon had teeth 7 to 10 centimeters long and had the ability to dive deep into water for a long time, occasionally rising to the surface to breathe.
Eryops
Eryops is a giant amphibian of the temnospondyl order that lived 360-300 million years ago. It was a large animal, whose body length was about two meters, and the length of the skull, shaped like the skull of a modern alligator, reached about half a meter. He had a powerful build, a wide chest and short, strong legs. According to scientists, it led a semi-aquatic lifestyle, that is, it was adapted for hunting in shallow waters and on the banks of reservoirs.
Allosaurus
Allosaurus is the most famous member of the family of predatory lizard-hipped dinosaurs, the allosaurids, that lived on Earth 155-145 million years ago. It was a bipedal predator whose body length on average reached nine meters, height was approximately 3.5-4 meters, and weight was around a ton. The front legs were much shorter and weaker than the hind legs, on which the Allosaurus moved. Currently, the main hypothesis in the scientific community is that allosaurs could not hunt very large herbivorous dinosaurs alone. 
, so they united in flocks.
Megalosaurs
Megalosaurus is a genus of predatory bipedal lizard-hipped dinosaurs that lived on the territory of modern Europe 180-169 million years ago (in any case, so far the remains of megalosaurs have been found only on the European continent). Notable for being the first dinosaur found and documented 
in the history of modern science. In its appearance and structural features, Megalosaurus resembles Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, which lived about a hundred million years later. 
- a large (body length about nine meters and weight about a ton) dinosaur with short forelimbs and sharp teeth. There is also an assumption regarding him that he obtained food not only by hunting, but also as a scavenger.
Alexander Babitsky
Evolution is a serious thing. At each stage of the formation of our planet in a certain period of time, there were certain animals that, of course, were the elite of their era. Prehistoric predators have long been considered such. Let's talk about them.
They have inhabited the Earth for more than 500,000,000 years! For almost half of this period, our planet was dominated by prehistoric predators - dinosaurs! Just think about these numbers! No one else was able to hold out in the history of the formation of the Earth for as long as the ancient lizards did. They were real rulers!
Prehistoric predators are the crown of nature's creation!
At one time they were the pinnacle of development of all terrestrial organisms that inhabited our planet. Dinosaurs remained the rulers of the land for more than 100,000,000 years! These were numerous and varied monsters. No other creature could compare with them in strength and perfection! Today, prehistoric reptile predators never cease to excite scientists and ordinary minds: the process of their existence and the drama of extinction have been of interest to man since the moment he learned about the Great Age of Reptiles! Dinosaurs are studied very carefully; no other is as popular in scientific circles as ancient dinosaurs!
Prehistoric sea predators
Over time, the land became too crowded, and some reptiles began to master the water. Scientists have experimentally observed that reptiles, throughout the history of their development, returned to the water from time to time. This happened when more abundant food and security of existence awaited them there.
This was not difficult for them, since life in the seas and oceans does not require reptiles to undergo absolutely any fundamental changes in the body and physiology.
The very first prehistoric predators to master water were anapsids - mesosaurs of the Permian period. Following them, primitive diapsids - tangosaurs, thalattosaurs, claudiosaurs and hovasaurus - went into the water. The most recent group of aquatic reptiles were the well-known ichthyosaurs. These sea predators were simply superbly adapted to life in any waters of our planet. In their shape, ichthyosaurs very much resembled the most common fish or dolphins: a triangular head with long jaws extended forward, a body flattened on the sides, the blade of the caudal fin was vertical, and the legs were transformed into four ventral fins.
Lord of the seas and oceans
Our planet has been inhabited by millions of living beings since prehistoric times. Many animals became extinct, some radically changed their appearance, others have survived to this day, retaining their original appearance.
What animals are the most ancient inhabitants of our world?
Crocodiles are considered the most ancient animals on Earth that have survived to this day. They appeared on our planet in the Triassic period, about 250 million years ago, and almost did not change their appearance.
Crocodiles belong to the order of aquatic reptiles. These are large predatory animals, reaching a length of 2 to 5 meters. They live in rivers and lakes, in the coastal seas of tropical countries. They feed on fish, birds, and small animals, but they also attack large animals and even people.
Female crocodiles lay from 20 to 100 eggs on land, covering them with earth, and protect the clutch from enemies. When the crocodiles hatch from the eggs, the female carries them in her mouth into the pond. Crocodiles grow throughout their lives and live up to 80 - 100 years. Crocodile meat is edible and consumed in some tropical countries.
In Japan, Cuba, the USA, and Thailand, crocodiles are bred on special farms. Crocodile skin is used in the haberdashery industry to make bags, suitcases, saddles, belts and shoes.
Hatteria or tuatara
Another amazing animal that has survived to this day lives in New Zealand - this is the tuatara or tuatara, a representative of the beak-headed order. This species of reptile appeared on Earth 220 million years ago. The lifespan of a tuateria is 60 years, but some individuals live for more than a hundred years.
The tuatara has greenish-gray scaly skin and a jagged ridge on its back, so locals call this animal tuatara, which means “spiny.” Tuatara have short legs with claws and a long tail. On the sides of the head, there are large pupils of the eyes; on the upper side of the head there is a parietal eye, the so-called third eye, covered with skin.
This animal resembles iguanas in its appearance, weighs 1.3 kg, body length reaches 78 cm. It likes to settle in the petrel’s home and lives in the same hole with it, goes out to hunt at night, and swims well.
At the age of 15 to 30 years, females lay from 8 to 15 eggs every four years, from which small tuaterias hatch after 12-15 months.
Hatterias reproduce very slowly and are an endangered species, listed in the Red Book and strictly protected by law.
The platypus is another representative of ancient animals that has survived to this day and has hardly changed its appearance. The ancient platypus appeared on our planet 110 million years ago and was smaller in size than the modern one.
The platypus is a waterfowl, class mammals, belongs to the order Monotremes, lives in Australia and is a symbol of this country.
The body length of the platypus is 30-40 cm, the tail is flat and wide - 10-15 cm long, reminiscent of a beaver's tail, weight up to 2 kg. The body of the platypus is covered with thick soft fur, dark brown on the back, and grayish-red on the abdomen. The head is round with a flat soft beak 65 mm long and 50 mm wide. The beak is covered with elastic bare skin stretched over two thin long arched bones.
The oral cavity contains cheek pouches in which food is stored. The short five-fingered legs have swimming membranes that help the animal row in the water, and when the platypus comes to land, the membranes bend and the claws stick out and the animal easily moves on land and can dig holes.
Female platypus lay 1 to 3 small eggs, only 1 cm in size, incubate the eggs and after 7-10 days, naked, blind, 2.5 cm long cubs with teeth hatch, the teeth are preserved while the female feeds the platypus with milk, then the teeth fall out. Platypuses grow slowly and live up to 10 years, feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms, swim and dive well, live in burrows, alone, and sometimes hibernate for a short period of 5-10 days.
The echidna is also the oldest animal that has survived to this day and has hardly changed its appearance over the 110 million years of its existence. Modern echidnas live in Australia and on the islands of New Guinea and Tasmania.
This is a small animal, like a hedgehog, covered in needles. Hence the name “echinos” - translated from ancient Greek means “hedgehog”.
Echidna is a mammal from the order Monotremes. The animal's body length is about 30 cm. The back and sides are covered with large yellow-brown spines, the tail is small, only one centimeter long, also covered with a bunch of small spines. The echidna has short but rather strong limbs with large claws. The lips are beak-shaped, the mouth is small, there are no teeth, the tongue is long and sticky. Using its tongue, the echidna catches ants and termites, which it crushes in its mouth, pressing its tongue against the roof of the mouth. Echidnas live in burrows that they dig themselves, are nocturnal, sleep during the day, and swim well.
Once a year, females lay one egg the size of a large pea, with a soft shell, and move its pouch, which appears on her belly. The hatched, naked baby remains in the mother's pouch for up to 55 days, until the quills begin to grow, and feeds on milk, licking it from the surface of the mother's skin with its long tongue. The female then digs a hole for the cub, where she leaves him alone until he is seven months old, returning every 5 days to feed him with her milk.
