Prehistoric monsters in our time. Prehistoric monsters. Rakoscorpion species Jaekelopterus rhenaniae
Who among you has not heard of the Tyrannosaurus Rex or the Velociraptor? When we think about dinosaurs, we imagine only a small part of all these giant creatures. But perhaps more interesting are those who are less familiar to us?
Estemmenosuchus
There are no other animals like this. Estemmenosuchus is probably one of the most unusual prehistoric monsters. They belong to the Deinocephali group. Despite their appearance as a true dinosaur, they were more closely related to mammals. The fossilized remains of Estemmenosuchus were found in Russia. They lived in the Permian period, long before the dinosaurs appeared.
Acrophyseter
This is an ancient relative of the sperm whale, which, as we know, huge size, eats a lot of shellfish and never attacks a person without provocation. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the acrophyseter. What was this dinosaur? It was medium in size and did not feed on shellfish, but on other sea animals and even sharks! His teeth were terrible deadly weapon, so Acrophyseter was nicknamed the killer of sperm whales. His remains were found in Peru. He lived during the Miocene period, which was rich in various large sea creatures such as giant dolphins, huge sharks and even monster penguins.
Gigantopithecus
His name speaks for itself. It was a huge ape, related to the orangutan, that lived in the bamboo thickets, jungles and mountains of China, India and Vietnam during the Pleistocene. Gigantopithecus were vegetarians, grew up to 3 m and weighed up to 550 kg! They were very strong, which helped them protect themselves from predators. Gigantopithecus went extinct 300,000 years ago, most likely due to hunting by early humans or climate change. Of course, to all fans Bigfoot I like to think that Gigantopithecus somehow survived in remote parts of the Himalayas and that there is still hope of seeing him.
Epicyon
He can be described as a giant pit bull on steroids. He belonged to the canine family, but if modern dogs imply speed and endurance, then the epicyon has enormous strength. He had such powerful jaws that he could crush bones like a nut! This monster rules the plains North America 15 million years, after which it gave way to big cats (including the saber-toothed tiger).
Edestus
Today's white sharks have the most terrible teeth in nature, but their distant prehistoric relative Edestus was so terrible that the shark is small in comparison gold fish. Edestus was about 7 m long. However, scientists still don't know how he used his amazing teeth. Unlike the shark, they did not fall out at all. Instead, the new teeth pushed the old ones out of the mouth, and thus the gums and teeth protruded from the mouth like monstrous scissors. Edestus could easily bite the victim in half! Just like that!
Gorgonops
These were the top predators in the late Permian period, before the dinosaurs arrived. Gorgonops has deadly saber-shaped teeth, which it uses to hunt the largest Permian herbivores, the size of a rhinoceros or even larger. Gorgonops were quite agile and could move with high speed. Despite their reptilian appearance, they are more closely related to mammals and may even have been covered in fur!
Terrible bird
Known as fororacotes, these birds were the top predators in South America and parts of North America during the Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. They were then replaced by big cats and other carnivorous mammals. Fororacosids could not fly, but they ran very fast (according to some scientists, as fast as a cheetah!). They were very large, up to 3 m in height and weighing up to half a ton! Their main weapon was a head up to 1 m long, which allowed them to swallow whole prey the size of a dog. But the worst thing is that thanks to their curved beak, the terrible birds could kill and eat an animal the size of a horse.
Madsoya
If anyone has a phobia of snakes, then this madsoya will be a real nightmare. Although only a few parts of this creature have been found, its length is estimated at 15-20 m! Madsoya lived during the Cretaceous period and may have even dined on dinosaurs. Just like the python, it is not poisonous, but it compresses to death with its coils. Madsoya disappeared 45 million years ago.
Purussaurus
It was a giant caiman that lived in the region of the modern Amazon. 8 million years ago this region was large inland sea teeming with crocodiles, gharials, freshwater whales, giant rodents and turtles. And among them, Purussaurus was the main predator, for which there are reasons: 12-15 m in length! Agree, not a little? The remains of other animals missing limbs or even half the body are further evidence of the good appetite of this giant caiman.
Entelodont
Although the pigs wild boars and hogs sometimes eat meat; they are considered vegetarians. On the other hand, the entelodont, a prehistoric relative of the pig, was a carnivore and perhaps one of the most terrifying mammals to ever exist. He was as tall as a man, had powerful jaws and sharp teeth. Scientists believe that entelodonts hunted themselves, but could also scare other predators away from their prey (which was not difficult). Numerous bites also indicate that entelodonts fought among themselves. It is possible that they were cannibals.
Azdarhid
It was a species of pterosaur (commonly known as pterodactyl), including the largest flying creatures that ever existed. Some specimens had a wingspan of 12-15 m! But what's really strange about the Azdarchids is their body proportions. They had amazingly long legs, necks and beaks and very small bodies and short wings. Scientists believe that they did not fly in the sky, but hunted animals the size of dogs or even humans on the ground! Standing on all 4 legs, the largest azdarchids were as tall as a giraffe and a tyrannosaurus.
Pulmonoscorpion
Literally a breathing scorpion, it is very similar to the modern scorpion, but only up to 1 m long. It was armed with sharp claws and a poisonous sting. Of course, we don't know how poisonous it was, but most likely fatal! This predator ran through the forests of the Carboniferous period, in what is now Scotland. By the way, during the Carboniferous period there also existed giant cockroaches the size of a cat, dragonflies the size of a hawk, and 3-meter centipedes. Basically, almost everything is the same, just a little more!
Xenosmilus
This is perhaps the most insidious of the cat family. The remains of this big cat were found in Florida along with the remains of many unlucky peccaries. Instead of strangling its prey or breaking its neck, as lions do, xenosmilus acted more like a shark or carnivorous dinosaur, tearing out the big piece flesh and in a second causing big loss blood and shock. It is unknown when this predator became extinct.
Megalodon
This is a well-known prehistoric monster. Megalodon was a giant shark. It reached a length of 20 m and weighed 60 tons, making it 6 times larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Apparently, the only food that could feed the megalodon was whales. The predators themselves appeared many years after the tyrannosaurs and other large creatures. Our ancestors did not see them, although megalodon was still around when the first australopithecus appeared.
Spinosaurus
They were even larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. The remains of this enormous predator were found in Egypt in 1915. Spinosaurs have been called the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of all time. This monster reached 17-18 m, weighed up to 10 tons and had a growth on its back larger than a person’s height. Its long, crocodile-like snout suggests that Spinosaurus spent a lot of time in the water and may have eaten a large number of fish. But it would be better if crocodiles, giant turtles and dinosaurs did not cross his path! While Tyrannosaurus Rex remains the most famous prehistoric monster of all time, Spinosaurus was and remains the most big predator on earth that we know about.
Who among you has not heard of the Tyrannosaurus Rex or the Velociraptor? When we think about dinosaurs, we imagine only a small part of all these giant creatures. But perhaps more interesting are those who are less familiar to us?
Estemmenosuchus
There are no other animals like this. Estemmenosuchus is probably one of the most unusual prehistoric monsters. They belong to the Deinocephali group. Despite their appearance as a true dinosaur, they were more closely related to mammals. The fossilized remains of Estemmenosuchus were found in Russia. They lived in the Permian period, long before the dinosaurs appeared.
Acrophyseter
This is an ancient relative of the sperm whale, which, as we know, is enormous in size, eats a lot of shellfish and never attacks a person without provocation. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the acrophyseter. What was this dinosaur? It was medium in size and did not feed on shellfish, but on other sea animals and even sharks! Its terrible teeth were a deadly weapon, so Acrophyseter was nicknamed the killer of sperm whales. His remains were found in Peru. He lived during the Miocene period, which was rich in various large sea creatures such as giant dolphins, huge sharks and even monster penguins.
Gigantopithecus
His name speaks for itself. It was a huge ape, related to the orangutan, that lived in the bamboo thickets, jungles and mountains of China, India and Vietnam during the Pleistocene. Gigantopithecus were vegetarians, grew up to 3 m and weighed up to 550 kg! They were very strong, which helped them protect themselves from predators. Gigantopithecus went extinct 300,000 years ago, most likely due to hunting 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 him.
Epicyon
He can be described as a giant pit bull on steroids. He belonged to the canine family, but if modern dogs imply speed and endurance, then Epicyon has enormous strength. He had such powerful jaws that he could crush bones like a nut! This monster ruled the plains of North America for 15 million years, after which it gave way to big cats (including the saber-toothed tiger).
Edestus
Today's white sharks have the most terrifying teeth in nature, but their distant prehistoric relative Edestus was so fearsome that the shark is a small goldfish in comparison. Edestus was about 7 m long. However, scientists still don't know how he used his amazing teeth. Unlike the shark, they did not fall out at all. Instead, the new teeth pushed the old ones out of the mouth, and thus the gums and teeth protruded from the mouth like monstrous scissors. Edestus could easily bite the victim in half! Just like that!
Gorgonops
These were the top predators in the late Permian period, before the dinosaurs arrived. Gorgonops has deadly saber-shaped teeth, which it uses to hunt the largest Permian herbivores, the size of a rhinoceros or even larger. Gorgonops were quite agile and could move at high speed. Despite their reptilian appearance, they are more closely related to mammals and may even have been covered in fur!
Terrible bird
Known as fororacotes, these birds were the top predators in South America and parts of North America during the Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. They were then replaced by big cats and other carnivorous mammals. Fororacosids could not fly, but they ran very fast (according to some scientists, as fast as a cheetah!). They were very large, up to 3 m in height and weighing up to half a ton! Their main weapon was a head up to 1 m long, which allowed them to swallow whole prey the size of a dog. But the worst thing is that thanks to their curved beak, the terrible birds could kill and eat an animal the size of a horse.
Madsoya
If anyone has a phobia of snakes, then this madsoya will be a real nightmare. Although only a few parts of this creature have been found, its length is estimated at 15-20 m! Madsoya lived during the Cretaceous period and may have even dined on dinosaurs. Just like the python, it is not poisonous, but it compresses to death with its coils. Madsoya disappeared 45 million years ago.
Purussaurus
It was a giant caiman that lived in the region of the modern Amazon. 8 million years ago, this region was a large inland sea teeming with crocodiles, gharials, freshwater whales, giant rodents and turtles. And among them, Purussaurus was the main predator, for which there are reasons: 12-15 m in length! Agree, not a little? The remains of other animals missing limbs or even half the body are further evidence of the good appetite of this giant caiman.
Entelodont
Although pigs, wild boar and hogs sometimes eat meat, they are considered vegetarians. On the other hand, the entelodont, a prehistoric relative of the pig, was a carnivore and perhaps one of the most terrifying mammals to ever exist. He was as tall as a man, had powerful jaws and sharp teeth. Scientists believe that entelodonts hunted themselves, but could also scare other predators away from their prey (which was not difficult). Numerous bites also indicate that entelodonts fought among themselves. It is possible that they were cannibals.
Azdarhid
It was a species of pterosaur (commonly known as pterodactyl), including the largest flying creatures that ever existed. Some specimens had a wingspan of 12-15 m! But what's really strange about the Azdarchids is their body proportions. They had amazingly long legs, necks and beaks and very small bodies and short wings. Scientists believe that they did not fly in the sky, but hunted animals the size of dogs or even humans on the ground! Standing on all 4 legs, the largest azdarchids were as tall as a giraffe and a tyrannosaurus.
Pulmonoscorpion
Literally a breathing scorpion, it is very similar to the modern scorpion, but only up to 1 m long. It was armed with sharp claws and a poisonous sting. Of course, we don't know how poisonous it was, but most likely fatal! This predator ran through the forests of the Carboniferous period, in what is now Scotland. By the way, during the Carboniferous period there also existed giant cockroaches the size of a cat, dragonflies the size of a hawk, and 3-meter centipedes. Basically, almost everything is the same, just a little more!
Xenosmilus
This is perhaps the most insidious of the cat family. The remains of this big cat were found in Florida along with the remains of many unlucky peccaries. Instead of strangling its prey or breaking its neck as lions do, the xenosmilus acted more like a shark or carnivorous dinosaur, tearing out a large chunk of flesh at once and causing great blood loss and shock in a second. It is unknown when this predator became extinct.
Megalodon
This is a well-known prehistoric monster. Megalodon was a giant shark. It reached a length of 20 m and weighed 60 tons, making it 6 times larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Apparently, the only food that could feed the megalodon was whales. The predators themselves appeared many years after the tyrannosaurs and other large creatures. Our ancestors did not see them, although megalodon was still around when the first australopithecus appeared.
Spinosaurus
They were even larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex. The remains of this enormous predator were found in Egypt in 1915. Spinosaurs have been called the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of all time. This monster reached 17-18 m, weighed up to 10 tons and had a growth on its back larger than a person’s height. Its long, crocodile-like snout suggests that Spinosaurus spent a lot of time in the water and may have eaten large quantities of fish. But it would be better if crocodiles, giant turtles and dinosaurs did not cross his path! While Tyrannosaurus Rex remains the most famous prehistoric monster of all time, Spinosaurus was and remains the largest predator on earth that we know of.
An article about monsters that, fortunately for us, have been extinct for a long time. Can you imagine what it would be like to meet THIS nose to nose?
Basilosaurus
Basilosaurs were primitive whales that looked like sea snakes, with a small head and a very long, narrow body. They lived in the Upper Eocene and inhabited almost all warm seas planet, so they did not have to store fat to maintain their body temperature at cold water. Basilosaurs were the top predators of their time, eating whatever they could get their hands on, including sharks and smaller whales. The largest basilosaurs reached 20-30 m.
Argentavis
This is the largest flying bird known to science in the entire history of the Earth, its wingspan reached 8 m. Argentavis lived in the territory South America and looked like giant vultures, but were more predisposed to hunting. Some scientists believe that Argentavis's smaller relatives served as inspiration for the American Indian thunderbird legend. But people did not see Argentavis itself; it became extinct 6 million years ago.
Dunkleosteus
Dunkleosteus is a prehistoric fish. This is one of the most dangerous predatory fish who have ever sailed in the world's oceans. Its length is 8-10 m, and its weight is 4 tons. Although this fish ate meat, it had no teeth. Instead, there were bone plates resembling a beak in the mouth. And its bite is comparable to the bite of a crocodile or even a tyrannosaurus. Fortunately, this creature became extinct in the late Devonian.
Chalicotherium
Chalicotherium was a prehistoric relative of the horse, but instead of hooves it had sharp claws, which were used in the fight against predators. To prevent the claws from wearing out, the chalicotherium walked on its knuckles, like a monkey. This amazing creature was a herbivore and lived in Africa, Eurasia and North America during the Eocene and Pliocene.
Racoscorpio
The remains of a crayfish were found in Germany. This scorpion is one of the largest arthropods. It was 2.5 m long and lived in fresh waters lakes and rivers Although its exact dimensions remain unknown, scientists measured the found claw and, based on this, have already assumed the entire length of the crayfish. The claw was 50 cm long.
Mosasaurus
Often considered sea dinosaurs, but in fact mosasaurs are close relatives of modern lizards and snakes. These reptiles ruled the ocean during the Late Cretaceous period and were very ferocious. Sharks were found in the stomachs of mesosaurs, giant squid, marine reptiles, including other mosasaurs. They had razor-sharp teeth (even on the roof of their mouth!) and a body length of 20 m. This is longer than the largest carnivorous dinosaur.
Dedicurus
Dedicurus is a relative of modern armadillos; it reached a length of 4 meters, a height of 1.5 m and a weight of 1.5 tons. At the end of the powerful tail of Dedicurus there was a spiny mace weighing up to 74 kg. It served armadillos for protection and for battles between males during the mating period (in this case, the bones of rivals most often remained intact). Daedicurus lived in South America during the Pleistocene and became extinct 11,000 years ago.
Elasmotherium
This is a genus of rhinoceroses that lived in Eurasia from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene. Weighing up to 7 tons, it was heavier than the tyrannosaurus itself! main feature- large dome-shaped growth on the forehead. It is believed that there was a long (more than 1.5 m) and thick horn on it. Perhaps Elasmotherium was the prototype of the mythical unicorn.
Megalania
This is the largest of known to science ground lizards. The lizard reached a length of 7m and was armed with a set of sharp teeth. Like its living relatives, Megalania was poisonous. Her poisonous bite and its sharp fangs allowed it to kill prey the size of a rhinoceros. But the worst thing is that this predator lived at the same time as humans and, perhaps, hunted them from time to time.
Pliosaur
These huge reptiles were the absolute masters of the Jurassic and early seas. Cretaceous periods. Some of them reached 18 m, and the largest - 25 m! Apparently, giant pliosaurs fed on large fish and other aquatic vertebrates.
What people are not afraid of, starting with phobias of small insects and spiders, and ending giant predators like crocodiles, sharks and bears. However, even these terrible beasts cannot be compared with the prehistoric monsters that once lived on our planet.
Azhdarchids were a type of pterosaur, flying reptiles that many people think of as dinosaurs with wings (even though they belong to a completely different family). The name comes from the Persian word meaning “dragon”, and it is not surprising - after all, these creatures were the size of giraffes, and their wingspan exceeded 20 meters. They also had a gigantic head and a toothless beak almost the size of their own body.
Entolodonts are an extinct family of pig-like creatures that lived on Earth about 37 million years ago. These giant creatures could be found in North America, parts of Europe and even Asia. Like them modern relatives, entelodonts were omnivores, with a diet consisting of both meat and vegetation, meaning they had incredibly sharp teeth. Distinctive feature These terminator pigs have large protrusions on their heads that look like horns. These animals often fought with each other, and left inch-deep dents on the enemy’s skulls. Such power is justified, because they reached 120 cm in height and 3 meters in width, and weighed about 450 kg.
Unlike most modern aquatic reptiles, Liopleurodon was truly giant creature. Liopleurodon lived in the oceans for about 5 million years and disappeared about 155 million years ago. Their exact size is difficult to determine due to the lack of remains, but experts believe that these creatures reached a length of 9 meters. This means that they weighed about 1600 kilograms, and could easily hunt any aquatic creatures.
Gigantopithecus has recently come into the spotlight, even though virtually no one knew about it for centuries. And all thanks to his appearance in the new Disney film “The Jungle Book”. Gigantopithecus was essentially a giant orangutan that lived in the forests of India and China about 100,000 years ago. They were so huge (3 meters tall and 500 kg weight) that they are considered the largest primates of all time.
Many people imagine saber-toothed tigers as simply big cats, but xenosmilus was not just a big cat - it had a powerful structure and very large muscles. Because of this, he resembled a cross between a leopard and a bear. His unique appearance and build meant he hunted differently than most saber-toothed cats. Using his protruding jaw, he tore large pieces of flesh from the victim so that he would die from blood loss while trying to escape.
This sea creature, which is a distant relative of modern lobsters, was discovered only in 2014, when its remains were found in Morocco. Egirokassid reached almost two meters in length, that is, it could be as tall as an adult. However he was not bloodthirsty predator. It ate in much the same way as modern whales eat - it sucked water into its mouth and used its teeth as a filter for food.
The remains indicate that Argentavis was the most big bird in history. With the height of an adult human and a weight of 80 kg, it is larger than any living bird. However, unlike others large birds, Argentavis was unlikely to act like a predator, since its structure did not allow it to hunt prey. It is also unlikely that, with such a gigantic size, Argentavis could fly like its modern relatives. It is assumed that it hovered in the air, only occasionally flapping its wings to gain altitude.
Few things scare people as much as bugs and insects. They are so creepy that giant versions of the most common creatures are often featured as monsters in horror films. common insects. Arthropleura could just be mistaken for a monster from a horror movie. These giant centipedes reached two and a half meters in length. They were so huge that they had no enemies among predators, and they are still considered the largest land invertebrates in the history of the planet.
Nowadays the most big snakes can reach eight meters in length at best, but titanoboa rubs their nose in all of them. It weighed more than a ton and measured more than fifteen meters in length. This snake lived in the swampy jungles of South America a little after the death of the dinosaurs. Like boa constrictors, titanoboa was not poisonous, and it strangled victims with a force of 28 kilograms of force per square centimeter. After the death of the dinosaurs, Titanoboa was the largest predator on the planet for 10 million years.
Dragonflies are not the most terrible creatures in the world, although some are afraid of them. But few would not be afraid of this distant relative of the dragonfly, which was the size of a child. The flying insect, which lived on Earth 300 million years ago, had a wingspan of 66 centimeters, and its body length was 30 cm. Like its modern relatives, Meganeura was carnivorous and fed mainly on invertebrates and amphibians.
Although among modern fish full of ugly and scary ones, all of them, including the piranhas, fade next to the dunkleosteus. This giant fish lived on the planet about 360 million years ago and, with a body length of 6 meters and a weight of one ton, is one of the most large fish in history. Its size indicates that it was a predator, and thanks to its powerful jaw and large teeth it could eat all the creatures it came across in the water.
In 2005, scientists discovered the remains of Carbonemys in a coal mine in Colombia. This is an extinct species giant turtles who lived on Earth 60 million years ago. The creature's shell alone reached two meters in length, and the weight of carbonemys reached up to a ton. That is, this turtle could be the same size as a small car. Although carbonemis is not the most big turtle in history, it is definitely the worst. Her powerful jaws allowed her to hunt animals larger than herself.
Gorgonopsians are a species of therapsid that are the ancestors of modern mammals. Roughly speaking, they were a cross between reptiles and mammals, and inhabited the Earth about 250 million years ago. Gorgonops were one of the largest predators of their time, and could equal the size of big bear. Moreover, the length of the skull of these monsters was 60 cm.
Although they were not technically crocodiles, Sarcosuchus long bodies and the scales are very reminiscent modern reptiles. But at the same time, they are twice the size of the crocodiles we know. Some scientists believe that Sarcosuchus continued to grow throughout its life, eventually reaching a length of 12 meters. However, they weighed about 8 tons, and their skin was so thick that it could serve as armor - a useful quality, considering that they lived at the same time as dinosaurs.
Sharks are already the scariest creatures on the planet, but Megalodon takes it to the next level. These are gigantic sea creatures lived about 2.5 million years ago, and today are considered one of the largest and deadly killers in history. Giant shark could grow up to 18 meters in length and looked like a larger version of a man-eating white shark. The worst thing is that its mouth contained teeth 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. Thanks to its gigantic size, the megalodon could devour a wide variety of prey, including whales, large sea turtles and dolphins.
Surely many have heard, and some have seen photos of sea monsters. However, most people consider them to be fiction, a kind of “horror story”. Is it really? We will talk about this in our article.
Prehistoric sea monsters
We will begin our conversation by getting to know the animals that have already disappeared from our planet. Millions of years ago huge sea monsters lived in the depths of the seas and oceans. One of them is Dakosaurus. His remains were first discovered in Germany. Then they were found over a fairly wide area - from Russia to Argentina.
Sometimes it is compared to a modern crocodile, with the only difference being that Dacosaurus reached five meters in length. Its powerful teeth and jaws gave researchers reason to believe that it was the top marine predator of its time.
Nothosaurus
These sea monsters were slightly smaller than the Dacosaurus. Their bodies did not exceed four meters in length. But nothosaurus was also a formidable and aggressive predator. Its main weapon was externally directed teeth. The diet of these animals consisted of fish and squid. Scientists claim that nothosaurs attacked their prey from ambush. Possessing the smooth body of a reptile, they would sneak up on prey silently, attack and eat it. Nothosaurs were close relatives of pliosaurs (a type of deep-sea sea predators). As a result of the study of fossil remains, it became obvious that these sea monsters lived in the Triassic period.