Prehistoric animal names. Prehistoric animals (41 photos)

Flexible, fast, smart. Top of the food chain: plants - herbivores - carnivores. It is not easy to obtain living food, and this defined them complex behavior, perfect design. At the very beginning of the Cenozoic, real predators descended by several trunks from primitive creodonts. Several trunks - this means that several groups of creodonts at once reached such a level of organization that they received the right to be called real or higher predators. A huge tiger that eats only meat, and no less huge bear, but omnivorous, fast dogs and a small weasel, even a domestic cat that destroyed mice in the barns of the ancient Egyptians - all these are predators. The ancestors of dogs belong to one of the oldest branches, they are related to bears and diverse group marten. Hyenas and felines related to each other stand apart.

284. A fearsome-looking cave bear ate almost exclusively vegetable food and, apparently, was destroyed by an ancient man who needed its meat and warm skin. Numerous skeletons of the cave bear (Spelaearctos spelaeus) have been found in many caves in the Urals and North Caucasus in deposits of the beginning of the Quaternary period

285. The way of life of mustelids is varied. Ferrets, ermines, martens, wolverines, badgers, otters... These are just a few modern ones, there were many more extinct ones. An excellent collection of various mustelids was collected in the clays of the Tertiary period, which make up the high cliff of the Irtysh, in a place called Goose Flight. Small, graceful skulls of martens (Martes sp.)

286. An excellent collection of various mustelids was collected in clays of the Tertiary period, which make up the high cliff of the Irtysh, in a place called Goose Flight. Here are found solid, durable, respectively, the appearance of the reconstruction, parataxidea badgers (Parataxidea crassa)

287. Parataxidea badger (Parataxidea crassa)

288. Perhaps the most interesting find is the skull of a huge marten Perunium (Perunium ursogulo), which has preserved a brain cast made by hardened sandstone

289. "Ursogulo" ("medvederosomaha") - on the reconstruction of an animal that really looks like both of them

290. The hyena (Hyaena bdrissiaki) from the Tertiary sediments, first of all, has powerful teeth capable of grinding bones.

We often hear that more and more more species animals are on the verge of extinction, and their extinction is only a matter of time. The inexorable expansion of the places of human activity, such as hunting, destruction natural environment Habitat, climate change and other factors are contributing to a species extinction rate that is 1,000 times greater than the natural rate. Even though the extinction of a species is a tragedy, sometimes it can be beneficial for a certain species... ours! From a 12m mega-snake to giraffe-sized flying creatures, today we bring you 25 stunning extinct creatures that thankfully no longer exist.

25. Pelagornis Sandersi

With a wingspan estimated to exceed 7 meters, Pelargonis Sandersi appears to be the largest flying bird ever discovered. It is quite possible that the bird could fly only by jumping off the rocks and most of her time over the ocean, where she relied on wind currents bouncing off the ocean to keep her flying. Although it is considered the largest of the flying birds, compared to pterosaurs such as Quetzalcoatlus with a wingspan of almost 12 meters, it was rather modest in size.

24. Euphoberia (giant centipede)


Ephoberia, which is similar to modern centipedes in shape and behavior, had a striking difference - its length was almost a full meter. Scientists are not entirely sure what exactly it fed on, we know that some modern centipedes feed on birds, snakes and bats. If a 25 cm centipede feeds on birds, imagine what a centipede almost 1 meter long could eat.

23. Gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus)


Gigantopithecus lived in the territory of modern Asia from 9 million to 100,000 years ago. They were the largest primates on Earth. Their height was 3 meters, and they weighed up to 550 kilograms. These creatures walked on four legs, like modern gorillas or chimpanzees, but there are those scientists who are of the opinion that they walked on two legs, like people. The features of their teeth and jaws suggest that these animals were adapted to chewing hard, fibrous food, which they cut, crushed and chewed.

22. Andrewsarchus


Andrewsarchus was a giant predatory mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch 45 - 36 million years ago. Based on the found skull and several bones, paleontologists suggest that the predator could have weighed up to 1,800 kilograms, possibly making it the largest terrestrial predatory mammal ever. However, the creature's behavioral habits are unclear, and according to some theories, Andrewsarchus may have been an omnivore or scavenger.

21. Pulmonoscorpius


Pulmonoscorpius literally means "breathing scorpion". It's extinct giant view a scorpion that lived on Earth during the Visean era of the Carboniferous period (approximately 345 - 330 million years ago). Based on fossils found in Scotland, it is believed that the length of this species was approximately 70 centimeters. It was a terrestrial animal that most likely fed on small arthropods and tetrapods.

20. Megalania


Megalania, endemic to southern Australia, became extinct as recently as about 30,000 years ago, which means that the first Aborigines who settled in Australia may well have encountered it. Scientific estimates vary greatly as to the size of this lizard, but it may have been about 7.5 meters long, making it the most large lizard from ever existing.

19. Helicoprion (Helicoprion)


Helicoprion, one of the longest-lived prehistoric creatures (310 to 250 million years ago), is a shark-like fish from the whole-headed subclass, distinguished by its spiraling clusters of teeth called tooth coils. The length of the helicoprion could reach up to 4 meters, but the body length of its closest living relative, the chimera, reaches only 1.5 meters.

18. Entelodon


Unlike its modern relatives, the entelodon was a pig-like mammal with a wild appetite for meat. Possibly the most monstrous looking of all mammals, the Entelodon walked on all fours and was nearly as tall as a human. Some scientists believe that entelodons were cannibals. And if they could even eat their relatives, they would definitely eat you.

17. Anomalocaris (Anomalocaris)


Anomalocaris (which means "abnormal shrimp"), which lived in almost all seas Cambrian period, was a species of marine animal related to ancient arthropods. Scientific research suggest that it was a predator that fed on hard-shelled sea creatures, as well as trilobites. They were notable especially for their eyes, which were equipped with 30,000 lenses and were considered the most developed eyes of all the species of that period.

16. Meganeura


Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period that resemble and are related to modern dragonflies. With a wingspan of up to 66 centimeters, it is one of the largest known flying insects that have ever lived on Earth. Meganeura was a predator and its diet consisted mainly of other insects and small amphibians.

15. Attercopus


Attercopus was a type of spider-like animal that had a tail like a scorpion. For a long period of time, Attercopus was considered prehistoric ancestor modern spiders, but the scientists who discovered the fossils found a few more recently and rethought their original conclusion. Scientists find it unlikely that Attercopus wove webs, but consider it entirely possible that it used silk to wrap its eggs, build threads for locomotion, or line the walls of its burrows.

14. Deinosuchus (Deinosuchus)


Deinosuchus is an extinct species related to modern crocodiles and alligators that lived on Earth from 80 to 73 million years ago. Even though he was much bigger than any of the modern species, in general, he looked the same. The body length of Deinosuchus was 12 meters. He had large sharp teeth capable of killing and eating sea ​​turtles, fish and even large dinosaurs.

13. Dunkleosteus


Dunkleosteus, which lived approximately 380-360 million years ago, in the late Devonian period (Late Devonian), was a large carnivorous fish. Due to its terrifying size, reaching up to 10 meters and weighing almost 4 tons, it was the apex predator of its time. The fish had very thick and hard scales, which made it a rather slow but very powerful swimmer.

12. Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus)


Spinosaurus, which was larger than Tyrannosaurus Rex, is the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever to have existed. The length of his body was 18 meters and he weighed up to 10 tons. Spinosaurus ate tons of fish, turtles and even other dinosaurs. If this horror lived in modern world then we probably wouldn't be there.

11. Smilodon


Smilodon, endemic to North and South America, roamed the earth during the Pleistocene era (2.5 million - 10,000 years ago). He is the very best famous example saber-toothed tiger. It was a heavily built predator with particularly well developed forelimbs and exceptionally long and sharp upper fangs. The largest species could weigh up to 408 kilograms.

10. Quetzalcoatl


With an incredible wingspan of 12 meters, this giant pterosaur was the largest creature ever to fly on Earth, including modern birds. However, it is very problematic to calculate the size and mass of this creature, since none of the living creatures has a similar size or body structure, as a result, published results vary greatly. One of the distinguishing characteristics that was observed in all specimens found was an unusually long, inflexible neck.

9. Hallucigenia (Hallucigenia)


The name hallucigenia comes from the idea that these creatures are extremely strange and have a fairy-tale appearance, like in a hallucination. The worm-like creature had a body length that varied from 0.5 to 3 centimeters and a head that lacked sensory organs such as eyes and nose. Instead, Hallucigenia had seven pincer-tipped tentacles on each side of its body, and three pairs of tentacles behind them. To say that this creature was strange is like saying nothing.

8. Arthropleura (Arthropleura)


Arthropleura lived on Earth in the late Carboniferous period (340 - 280 million years ago) and was endemic to what is now North America and Scotland. It was the largest known terrestrial invertebrate species. Despite its enormous length of up to 2.7 meters and the conclusions made earlier, Arthropleura was not a predator, she was a herbivore that fed on rotting forest plants.

7. Short-faced bear


The short-faced bear is an extinct member of the bear family that lived in North America during the late Pleistocene until 11,000 years ago, making it one of the most recently extinct creatures on the list. However, it was truly prehistoric in size. Standing on its hind legs, it reached a height of 3.6 meters, and if it stretched its front paws up, it could reach 4.2 meters. According to scientists, the short-faced bear weighed more than 1360 kilograms.

6. Megalodon (Megalodon)


Megalodon, whose name translates as " big tooth", is an extinct species of giant shark that lived from 28 to 1.5 million years ago. Due to its incredible length of 18 meters, it is considered one of the largest and most powerful predators that have ever lived on Earth. Megalodon lived all over the world and looked like a much larger and more terrifying version of the modern white shark.

5. Titanoboa (Titanoboa)


Titanoboa, which lived approximately 60-58 million years ago during the Paleocene epoch, is the largest, longest and heaviest snake ever discovered. Scientists believe that the largest individuals could reach a length of up to 13 meters and weighed approximately 1133 kilograms. Her diet usually consisted of giant crocodiles and turtles, which shared territory with her in modern times. South America.

4. Fororacos (Phorusrhacid)


These prehistoric creatures, informally known as "terrible birds", are an extinct species of large carnivorous birds that were the largest top predator species in South America in Cenozoic era, 62–2 million years ago. These are the largest flightless birds that have ever lived on earth. Terrible birds reached 3 meters in height, weighed half a ton and supposedly could run as fast as a cheetah.

3. Cameroceras (Cameroceras)


Cameroceras, which lived on our planet in the Ordovician period 470 - 440 million years ago, was a giant ancient ancestors of modern cephalopods and octopuses. The most distinctive part of this mollusk was its huge cone-shaped shell and tentacles, which it used to catch fish and other sea ​​creatures. Estimates of the size of this shell vary greatly from 6 to 12 meters.

2. Carbonemys (Carbonemys)


Carbonemys is an extinct species of giant tortoise that lived on Earth approximately 60 million years ago. This means that they have experienced mass extinction which killed most of the dinosaurs. Fossils that were found in Colombia suggest that the length of the shell of this turtle was almost 180 centimeters. The turtle was carnivorous with huge jaws that were strong enough to eat large animals such as crocodiles.

1. Jaekelopterus


With a size of 2.5 meters calculated by scientists, Jaekelopterus is one of the two largest arthropods ever found. Although it is sometimes referred to as the "sea scorpion", it was actually more of a giant lobster living in freshwater lakes and rivers in an area that is modern Western Europe. This terrifying creature lived on Earth approximately 390 million years ago, earlier than most dinosaurs.

Today, many terrible creatures live in the oceans - these are man-eating sharks, and huge squids, and mysterious deep sea fish. But still, the creatures found in the depths of the waters in their parameters did not come close to those giant creatures that lived in the seas of the past.

Then one could meet huge sea ​​lizards, shark monsters and even dangerous killer whales. If today marine life seems to us mainly as a source of food, then in those days the person himself would become food. Let's talk about the 10 most scary monsters that lived in the oceans in prehistoric times.

This creature is obviously the most famous one on the list. Its name itself is translated as "big tooth". Many will find it difficult to even imagine a fossil shark the size of a school bus. Popular science sources, like the Discovery Channel, help to bring the monster to life with the help of computer technology. The shark was 22 meters long and weighed about 50 tons. It was one of the most large predators throughout the existence of the earth. The bite force per 1 sq. cm was up to 30 tons. Although it seems that such a creature lived in the age of dinosaurs, megalodons lived on the planet 25-1.5 million years ago. Consequently, giant sharks missed the last dinosaurs by about 40 million years. By the way, it is quite possible that megalodons managed to meet with the first human ancestors. Megalodons lived in warm oceans, hunting whales. But after the beginning of the ice age in the Pliocene, the currents and the temperature of the ocean changed. Under the new conditions, giant predators could no longer exist. Today, their closest relatives are white sharks.

These animals were typical pliosaurs, representatives Jurassic. They were first described on the basis of a single tooth found in France in 1873. At the end of the same century, a skeleton was also found. They were creatures from 6 to 25 meters long, with a large narrow head. Scientists believe that it could reach a length of 4 meters! Huge teeth reached half a meter. The creature swam with the help of huge flippers, rising to the surface for air. It could dive long and deep. Based on the remains, scientists have modeled the body of Lioprevrodon. It turned out that he was not so much fast as very flexible. The inhabitant of the sea made quick jerks, attacking prey. There is no doubt that liopreprodons were viviparous - such sizes simply did not give them the opportunity to crawl ashore to lay eggs.

Despite his unusual view, this creature is not a reptile at all. This is a whale, and by no means the scariest one on our list. Basilosaurus are the predatory ancestors of today's whales. In length, they reached 21 meters, and lived on the planet 45-36 million years ago. In those days, basilosaurs inhabited all warm seas planet, being one of the most big predators. The whale is actually more like giant snake, as it had a long sinuous body. Its victims were large creatures, including dorudons. Today, the mere fantasy of swimming in the ocean, where an alligator-snake-whale creature lives, can kill interest in water procedures for a long time. Basilosaurus physical data suggests that they were deprived of the cognitive abilities of modern whales. They did not possess echolocation, practically not plunging to great depths. They also had practically no social skills, the whales were loners. As a result, the monster was quite primitive and could not pursue its prey if it got out onto land.

The name of this creature does not sound too scary. Meanwhile, it was one of the largest arthropods of all time. Racoscorpions lived 460-250 million years ago, reaching a length of 2.5 meters. Only their claw was up to half a meter in length. In those days, the level of oxygen in the atmosphere was higher, which was the reason for the appearance of giant cockroaches, scorpions. The scorpion remains marine life, although many of his relatives in those days began to explore the land. These creatures became extinct even before the dinosaurs, it is not even clear now whether they were really poisonous. However, the structure of their tail resembles the structure of the same part of the body in scorpions, which makes it possible to assume an attacking function of the tail.

These animals belong to the duck-billed dinosaurs. They lived on the borders of water and land. Mayasaurs could jump into the water to escape predators. In length, these creatures reached 7-9 meters, their weight was about 2-3 tons. Mayasaurs lived 80-73 million years ago. With a flat, wide, toothless beak, the animals plucked vegetation or collected algae. Mayasaurus's neck is made up of many vertebrae, which implies its flexibility. There was a small crest on the skull. The hind legs were strong, supporting the weight of the body. Mayasaurs could defend themselves with the help of their powerful tail. Animals laid eggs, babies about half a meter long emerged from the eggs. Mayasaurs lived in herds, as evidenced by the large number of skeletons found next to each other.

This creature can be called a real carnivorous tank. ferocious predator reached a length of 10 meters, and his body was covered with plates that acted as armor. There is an explanation for this - the dunkleostei hunted both their fellows and other predators. They did not have bones in the usual sense, their role was played by sharp bony ridges, like those of a turtle. But the bite force was 8000 pounds per square inch, which is comparable to the bite of a crocodile. The predator's skull was equipped with powerful muscles, which made it possible to draw food inside, like a vacuum cleaner, in a split second. The advantage of the dunkleosteus was that the jaws were powerful and fast. The hunter at high speed opened his deadly mouth, capturing the prey with great force. Almost none of the inhabitants of the ocean at that time had a chance to escape. Dunkleosteus - the most dangerous monster in the ocean at that time. These armored fish lived 415-360 million years ago.

This pliosaurus is one of the best known to the public and the largest in this family. For a long time there were disputes about true dimensions this dweller of the deep. As a result, scientists proved that the Kronosaurus reached a length of 10 meters. In this case, only the skull reached 3 meters. The massive mouth contained abundant teeth, up to 11 inches long. Kronosaurus became famous as the "king of the ancient seas" and even the "t-rex of the ocean." It is no coincidence that the name of the predator was given in honor of Kronos, the king of the Greek titans. Kronosaurus lived in the southern polar seas, which could be very cold in those days. For the first time, the remains of an animal were found in Australia. The flippers of the animal are somewhat reminiscent of turtles. Perhaps the kronosaurs crawled ashore to lay their eggs. You can be sure that no one dug their nests, so as not to anger the formidable predator. Kronosaurus lived about 120-100 million years ago.

The length of these sharks reached 9-12 meters. At the same time, their uniqueness lies in the possession of a dental spiral on the lower jaw. Such a formation could reach a diameter of 90 centimeters. crossbreed circular saw and the shark was real sea ​​horror. The animal's teeth were serrated, implying its carnivorous nature. It is unclear only where the spiral was located - in front of the mouth, or deeper. The latter option involves a different diet, softer (jellyfish). The structure of the body remains unknown. But the fact that Helicoprion was a rather intelligent creature is beyond doubt. The predator was able to survive after the Triassic extinction, perhaps due to its habitat in the deep layers of the ocean.

This ancient predator was something between the current killer whale and the usual sperm whale. In 2008, the remains of a whale were found that hunted other whales. Its teeth were the largest for eating of any animal. Although the tusks of an elephant are larger, they are not intended for this. The diameter of the teeth was 12 centimeters, and their length was 36. The body of the ancient sperm whale was up to 17.5 meters long. Interestingly, the sperm whale lived about 13 million years ago, which means that it competed in the ocean for prey with megalodon. The head of a predatory whale reached 3 meters in length, there are signs that it contained echolocation organs, like modern toothed whales. Therefore, under the conditions muddy water Leviathan could navigate effectively. The animal was named after Leviathan, the biblical sea ​​monster, and also in honor of Herman Melville, the author of the novel "Moby Dick" (it just included a giant sperm whale).

In diameter, this fish has reached 5 meters, besides, it is poisonous. The stingray is strong enough to pull a boat full of people. In this case, we are talking about a prehistoric super-fish whose descendants are still hiding in the fresh and brackish waters of the Mekong River and in northern Australia. Here, no one is surprised by two-meter slopes with a weight of three centners. These fish are already several million years old, the structure of their body allowed them to stay alive. Giant fish were able to survive even ice Age. For its size and unusual appearance, the stingray was called the "sea devil". In front of the body are small eyes, behind them are gills and a toothed mouth. Interestingly, there is a sensitive area on the skin around the mouth and nose that allows the stingray to pick up electrical and magnetic fields other living beings. This greatly facilitates the search for food. The freshwater predator has terrible weapon- immediately 2 powerful and sharp spikes on the tail. The largest of them acts as a harpoon, entering easily into the victim and being held inside due to notches. The force of the blow is so great that even the bottom of the boat cannot stand before it. The length of the spike reaches 38 centimeters. The second spike is smaller, it is designed to inject poison. This substance is deadly to humans. The stingray feeds on fish, mollusks and invertebrates. The female stingray is viviparous.

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

giant sloths- a group of several various kinds sloths, which were especially large in 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 them modern relatives moved very slowly. Giant sloths lived from 35 million to 10 thousand years ago.

Megaloceros (lat. 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, preferred open landscapes with rare 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. Scientists do not consensus about 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, 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 (lat. Arsinoitherium)- 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. North Africa(Egypt). Arsinotherium lived 36-30 million years ago.

Celodonts (lat. Coelodonta antiquitatis)- Fossil woolly rhinoceros, adapted to life in arid and cool conditions of 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. Celodonts Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago.

Palorchestes (lat. Palorchestes azael)- a genus of marsupials that lived in Australia in the Miocene and became extinct in the Pleistocene about 40 thousand years ago, after 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. The Palorchests lived from 15 million to 40 thousand 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. Deinotherium lived from 20 to 2 million years ago.

Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus), perhaps the largest extinct terrestrial predatory mammal, which 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), height at the shoulders - up to 1.6 meters. Weight could reach 1 ton. Andrewsarch is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls. Andrewsarch lived from 45 to 36 million years ago.

Amphicyonides (lat. Amphicyon major) or dog bears are widespread in Europe and western Turkey. In the proportions of the Amphicyonides, bearish and canine 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. Amphicyonids lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago.

terrible birds(sometimes called fororacos), 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. Fororakos lived 23 million years ago.

In families hare (Leporidae), also had their giants. In 2005, a giant hare was described from the island of Menorca (Baleares, Spain), which received the name Giant Menorca 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. there were no large predators on the island. In addition, scientists believe that due to the reduced paws and stiffness of the spine, the “king of hares” lost the ability to jump and moved on land with an exceptionally small step. The giant Menorca hare lived from 7 to 5 million years ago.

woolly mammoth(lat. Mammuthus primigenius) appeared 300 thousand years ago in Siberia, from where it spread in 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. The woolly mammoth lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand years ago.

Gigantopithecus (lat. Gigantopithecus)- an extinct species 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 of the species Homo erectus, who began to enter 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. Gigantopithecus lived from 9 to 1 million years ago.

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 rightly be called animals " blue blood". 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 the salinity of the water 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 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. The 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?