Large animals that became extinct. The relative of the T. rex wouldn’t hurt a fly. What did the ancestors of modern lions eat?

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

Giant sloths- a group of several various types sloths, who were especially distinguished 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-moving animals with low, narrow skulls and very little brain matter. Despite his heavy weight, the animal stood on its hind legs and, leaning its forelimbs on the 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. People settled the American continent between 30 and 10 thousand years ago, and the last giant sloths disappeared from the continent about 10 thousand years ago. This suggests that these animals were hunted. They were probably easy prey because, like their modern relatives, they moved very slowly. Giant sloths lived from 35 million to 10 thousand years ago.

Megaloceros (lat. Megaloceros giganteus) or big-horned deer, appeared about 300 thousand years ago and died out at the end of the Ice Age. Inhabited Eurasia, from British Isles before China, preferred open landscapes with sparse woody 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, greatly interfered with everyday life. Perhaps, when forests replaced the tundra-steppe and forest-steppe, it was the colossal horns that caused the extinction of the species. He could not live in the forests, because with such a “decoration” on his head it was impossible to walk through the forest.

Arsinotherium (lat. Arsinoitherium)- an ungulate that lived approximately 36-30 million years ago. It reached a length of 3.5 meters and was 1.75 m in height at the withers. Outwardly it resembled a modern rhinoceros, but retained all five toes on its front and hind legs. Its “special feature” were huge, massive horns, consisting not of keratin, but of a bone-like substance, and a pair of small outgrowths of the frontal bone. Remains of Arsinotherium are known from Lower Oligocene deposits of northern Africa (Egypt). Arsinotherium lived 36-30 million years ago.

Coelodonta antiquitatis- fossil woolly rhinoceroses, adapted to life in the arid and cool conditions of the open landscapes of Eurasia. They existed from the late Pliocene to the early Holocene. They were large, relatively short-legged animals with a high nape and an elongated skull bearing two horns. The length of their massive body reached 3.2 - 4.3 m, height at the withers - 1.4 - 2 meters. A characteristic feature of these animals was a well-developed woolly coat, which protected them from low temperatures and cold winds. The low-set head with square lips made it possible to collect the main food - the vegetation of the steppe and tundra-steppe. From archaeological finds it follows that the woolly rhinoceros was hunted by Neanderthals about 70 thousand years ago. Celodonts Lived from 3 million to 70 thousand years ago.

Palorchestes (lat. Palorchestes azael)- a genus of marsupials that lived in Australia in the Miocene and became extinct in the Pleistocene about 40 thousand years ago, after humans arrived in Australia. Reached 1 meter at the withers. The animal's muzzle ended with a small proboscis, for which Palorchests are called marsupial tapirs, to which they are somewhat similar. In fact, palorchests are quite close relatives of koalas. The Palorchestes lived from 15 million to 40 thousand years ago.

Deinotherium giganteum- the largest land animals of the late Miocene - middle Pliocene. The body length of representatives of various species ranged from 3.5-7 meters, height at the withers reached 3-5 meters, and weight could reach 8-10 tons. Outwardly, they resembled modern elephants, but differed from them in proportions. Deinotherium lived from 20 to 2 million years ago.

Andrewsarchus (lat. Andrewsarchus), perhaps the largest extinct terrestrial predatory mammal that lived in the Middle - Late Eocene era in Central Asia. Andrewsarchus is represented as a long-bodied, short-legged beast with a huge head. The length of the skull is 83 cm, the width of the zygomatic arches is 56 cm, but the dimensions can be much larger. According to modern reconstructions, if we assume relatively large head sizes and shorter leg lengths, then the body length could reach up to 3.5 meters (without the 1.5 meter tail), the height at the shoulders could be up to 1.6 meters. Weight could reach 1 ton. Andrewsarchus is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls. Andrewsarchus lived from 45 to 36 million years ago.

Amphicyonids (lat. Amphicyon major) or dog-bears became widespread in Europe and western Turkey. The proportions of the Amphicyonidae were a mixture of bear and dog features. His remains were found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. The average weight of male Amphicyonids was 210 kg, and females - 120 kg (almost the same as modern lions). The amphicyonid was an active predator, and its teeth were well adapted for crunching bones. Amphicyonids lived from 16.9 to 9 million years ago.

Terrible Birds(sometimes called fororakosov), who lived 23 million years ago. They differed from their counterparts in their massive skull and beak. Their height reached 3 meters, weighed up to 300 kg and were formidable predators. Scientists created a three-dimensional model of the bird's skull and found that the bones of the head were strong and rigid in the vertical and longitudinal-transverse directions, while in the transverse direction the skull was quite fragile. This means that the fororacos would not be able to grapple with struggling prey. The only option is to beat the victim to death with vertical blows of the beak, as if with an ax. The only competitor to the terrible bird was most likely the marsupial saber-toothed tiger (Thylacosmilus). Scientists believe that these two predators were once at the top of the food chain. Thylacosmil was a stronger animal, but Paraphornis surpassed it in speed and agility. Fororakos lived 23 million years ago.

In the family hares (Leporidae), also had their giants. In 2005, a giant hare was described from the island of Menorca (Balearics, Spain), which received the name Giant Menorcan hare (lat. Nuralagus rex). The size of a dog, it could reach a weight of 14 kg. According to scientists, such a large size of the rabbit is due to the so-called island rule. According to this principle, large species, once on the islands, decrease over time, while small ones, on the contrary, increase. Nuralagus had relatively small eyes and ears, which did not allow him to see and hear well - he did not have to fear an attack, because. there were no large predators on the island. In addition, scientists believe that due to reduced paws and rigidity of the spine, the “king of hares” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps. The giant Minorcan hare lived from 7 to 5 million years ago.

Woolly Mammoth(lat. Mammuthus primigenius) appeared 300 thousand years ago in Siberia, from where it spread to North America and Europe. The mammoth was covered with coarse wool, up to 90 cm long. A layer of fat almost 10 cm thick served as additional thermal insulation. The summer coat was significantly shorter and less dense. They were most likely painted dark brown or black. With small ears and a short trunk compared to modern elephants, the woolly mammoth was well adapted to cold climates. Woolly mammoths were not as huge as is often assumed. Adult males reached a height of 2.8 to 4 m, which is not much larger than modern elephants. However, they were significantly more massive than elephants, reaching a weight of up to 8 tons. A noticeable difference from living species of proboscis was the strongly curved tusks, a special growth on the top of the skull, a high hump and a steeply sloping rear part of the back. The tusks found to this day reached a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg. The woolly mammoth lived from 300 thousand to 3.7 thousand years ago.

Gigantopithecus (lat. Gigantopithecus)- an extinct genus of apes that lived in the territory modern India, China and Vietnam. According to experts, Gigantopithecus had a height of up to 3 meters and weighed from 300 to 550 kg, that is, they were the largest monkeys of all time. At the end of the Pleistocene, Gigantopithecus may have coexisted with Homo erectus, who began to penetrate Asia from Africa. Fossil remains indicate that Gigantopithecus was the largest primate of all time. They were probably herbivores and walked on four limbs, 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. 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.

For many of us, the world of ancient animals seems like herds of dinosaurs or, in extreme cases, mammoths. In fact, it is much more diverse and fantastic. Our planet was inhabited by millions of creatures, most of which disappeared forever from the face of the Earth, leaving us with only their fossil remains, fossilized traces, drawings, or nothing at all. But each of them served as a building block of a great kingdom called flora and fauna.

Fantastic Beasts

Ancient animals began their existence in the form of spineless microorganisms long before the appearance of Homo sapiens. This is what official science says. The unofficial one, based on hundreds of artifacts found in different parts of the Earth, believes that before the advent of our civilization there were others no less developed than us. Of course, then not only people lived, but also animals. It is almost impossible to determine what they were. The only thing left of them is a mention in ancient manuscripts and myths of all kinds of dragons, elves, incredible monsters, and unicorns. However, there is the only museum in the world where the exhibits are real, as its workers claim, remains of unicorns, mermaids and other strange creatures. Among them are fragments of dragons, mermaids, mythical two-headed snakes and other monsters, extracted by enthusiastic archaeologists from the bowels of the Earth.

How it all started

The official science of paleontology adheres to the theory that life originated in the Precambrian period. This is the most impressive period of time, which accounts for 90% of the duration of existence of all living things. It lasted almost 5 billion years, from the beginning of the formation of the Earth to the Cambrian. At first there was no atmosphere, no water, nothing, not even volcanoes on our planet.


Gloomy and lifeless, she silently rushed along her orbit. This period is called Katarchean. 4 billion years ago it was replaced by Archaean, which was marked by the appearance of an atmosphere, albeit with virtually no oxygen. At the same time, the first seas arose, which were acid-salt solutions. It was in these terrible conditions that life began. The oldest animal on Earth is cyanobacteria. They lived in colonies, forming films or layered mats on the substrate. The memory of them is calcareous stromatolites.

Continuation of life development

The Archean lasted 1.5 billion years. Cyanobacteria filled the atmosphere with oxygen and provided the emergence of hundreds of new species of microorganisms, thanks to whose vital activity we have mineral deposits.
Approximately 540 million years ago, the Cambrian began, which lasted 55-56 million years. Its first era is the Paleozoic. This Greek word means "ancient life" ("paleozoi"). In the Paleozoic, the first and unified
continent of Gondwana. The climate was warm, close to subtropical, which was ideal for the development of life. Then it existed mainly in water. Its representatives were not only single-celled organisms, but also entire systems of algae, polyps, corals, hydras, ancient sponges and other things. These ancient animals gradually ate all those who formed the stromatolites. During the same period, they began to develop land.

Ancient plants

It is believed that plants were the first to reach land. At first it was algae from shallow waters that dried up from time to time. are considered the first plants on the planet. They were replaced by psilophytes. They did not yet have roots, but tissues already existed that carried water and nutrients through the cells. Then horsetails, mosses and ferns appeared. In size, these plants were real giants, the height of a 10-story building. It was gloomy and very humid in their forests. The first gymnosperms arose not from ferns, but from pteridophytes, which already had roots, bark, pith and crown. During the glaciation, the ancestors of gymnosperms became extinct. Angiosperms appeared in They significantly displaced their ancestors - gymnosperms, changing the appearance of the planet and becoming the ruling class.

First sunrise and first sunset

The appearance of plants on land contributed to the emergence and development of insects. The oldest animal in sushi is arachnids. a prominent representative which is the armored spider. Later, winged insects appeared, and then amphibians. By the end of the Paleozoic, reptiles, which had very impressive sizes, dominated the land. Among them are three-meter pareiasaurs, pelycosaurs that grew up to 6.5 meters, and therapsids. The latter were the most numerous class, having in their ranks both small representatives and giants. Approximately 252 million years ago, a worldwide natural disaster occurred, which resulted in the complete disappearance of 70% of all land animals, 96% sea ​​creatures and 83% insects. This happened during the Permian period. It ended the Paleozoic and began the Mesozoic. It lasted as much as 185-186 million years. The Mesozoic includes the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Ancient animals and plants that survived the disaster continued to develop. From the second half of the Triassic to the end of the Mesozoic, dinosaurs took dominant positions.

Gentlemen dinosaurs

These reptiles numbered more than a thousand species, the remains of ancient animals help to identify and study them. The very first dinosaur is considered to be the Staurikosaurus, whose body length was less than a meter and weighed about 30 kg. Later, Errorosaurus, Eoraptor, Plesiosaur, Tyrannosaurus and others appeared. They completely mastered the land, the world's oceans, and took to the air. The most famous of the flying lizards is the pterodactyl. There were many species of them, from little ones the size of a sparrow to giants with a wingspan of 12-13 meters. They ate fish, insects and their fellow creatures. In 1964, during excavations, the remains of a creature called Deinonychus were found. This was the first warm-blooded dinosaur. Presumably he was the ancestor of birds, since he had plumage.

Dinosaurs are amazing ancient animals. Many consider them stupid and primitive, but they knew how not only to lay eggs, but also to hatch them, carefully care for their offspring, protecting and teaching their children. And pelycosaurs were the ancestors of the first mammals.

Kingdom Mammals

Approximately 65 million years ago, at the end of the Mesozoic, another terrible catastrophe occurred, as a result of which all dinosaurs became extinct. Most species of mollusks, aquatic reptiles, and plants also disappeared. And again the death of some gave rise to the emergence and development of others. Warm-blooded mammals went through a long evolution and gradually populated all natural niches. This happened in the Cenozoic, which replaced the Mesozoic. In his Quaternary period, which continues to this day, man appeared. Ancient animals of the Earth that survived natural disasters, were exterminated primitive people at the dawn of humanity and by Homo sapiens in the recent past. So, by 1500, all moa birds were killed. At the end of the 17th century, dodos, dodos, and aurochs ceased to exist. In the 18th century, the last one was killed. In the 19th, the last quagga, which resembled a zebra, died, and in the 20th, the Tasmanian wolf died. And this is only a small part of an impressive list.

Unusual Finds

All these animals were destroyed by human greed. However, there are many wonderful people in the world who care about the conservation of existing species on Earth and undertake expeditions to discover new ones. Enthusiasts believe that not all ancients. There is even a science - cryptozoology, which deals with unusual relict species. The most famous of them are the plesiosaur and the Puerto Rican chupacabra. Skeptics do not believe in their existence, but relatively recently no one believed in the existence of okapi, pygmy hippopotamuses, lobe-finned fish, dwarf deer and other animals discovered in the 18th-20th centuries. As if to confirm that new discoveries are yet to come, people find extraordinary skeletons or fragments of bodies of creatures unknown to science that are waiting to be described and classified.

Once upon a time, ancient animals lived on our land. The cave lion is one of them. He became the ancestor of modern lions. We will tell you what a cave lion was like in those distant times in our article.

In ancient times, our planet was inhabited by amazing animals. Some of them are not at all similar to modern inhabitants of the Earth. But scientists believe that all modern animals descended from those same fossil ancestors. Today, thanks to computer technology, we can easily see what the ancestors of modern animals looked like, although only ancient people saw them with their own eyes, who left memories of these animals only in rock paintings.

The cave lion is one of these ancient animals. He is an ancient representative of the cat family, the order of carnivores and belonged to the genus panther. Scientists around the world have the opportunity to study this representative of the ancient fauna only from the remains of bones that are discovered during excavations.

How did scientists “get to know” the cave lion?

On the territory of the current Russian region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in 1891, a scientist named Chersky found the femur of some large predatory animal. At that time, the scientist concluded that the fossil remains belonged to a representative of ancient tigers. After this discovery, the ancient “tigers” were forgotten for many years...

Until, almost a hundred years later, Nikolai Vereshchagin made a statement that these bones belong to the descendants of lions, not tigers. A little later, he wrote the book “The Cave Lion and Its History in the Holarctic and within the USSR,” in which he described all his finds and research results.

Appearance of an ancient animal - a cave lion

Having modeled the skeleton of the animal from the remains, scientists determined that the height of the cave lion was about 120 centimeters at the withers, body length - 240 centimeters (excluding tail length). Cave paintings show that the mane of these ancient felines was not very impressive. Hair like modern ones African lions, cave lions couldn't boast. The wool was monochromatic. The tail was decorated with a small tassel.

Where and when did cave lions live?

The appearance of this species of mammal is attributed to a period of about 300 thousand years ago. At that time, on the territory of modern Europe, the cave lion first emerged as an independent subspecies. This ancient animal inhabited the entire area of ​​the northern part of the Eurasian continent. Its habitat was modern Chukotka and Alaska, as well as the Balkan Peninsula.

Archaeological excavations have allowed scientists to prove the habitation of lions in the territory of modern countries, such as England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria. The territory of the former Soviet republics (USSR) was also inhabited by these ancient animals. Rock paintings were found near Odessa and Kyiv.

Cave lion lifestyle

Cave lions lived in prides, just like theirs. Although this lion is called a cave lion, in fact, it was rarely found in caves. This shelter was primarily intended for wounded or dying individuals who needed privacy. That is why so many remains are now found in caves.

What did the ancestors of modern lions eat?

The main food for these predators were large ungulates of that period: antelope, deer, wild bulls and horses. Sometimes their prey was small bear cubs or giants

Deep down, we are grateful that prehistoric monsters went extinct millions of years ago, leaving us with this amazing planet as a legacy. However, some facts about dinosaurs make us regret that they disappeared. Because dinosaurs were truly amazing creatures that could capture anyone's imagination.

10. Dinosaur eggs were colorful

The dinosaurs were much more colorful than they are shown in the movies. And they even laid colorful eggs. For example, oviraptor eggs were painted in soothing green and blue tones. The age of such a find, made in China, is about 67 million years. Most fossilized dinosaur eggs are covered in dark spots as the shell absorbs minerals. But the eggs in this clutch remained relatively unstained, which allowed scientists to detect the coloring pigments biliverdin and protoporphyrin in the shell. These same pigments, by the way, are found in the eggs of emu and cassowary ostriches.

9. Archeopteryx Wore Feather Pants

Archeopteryx, whose remains were first discovered in Germany in 1861, is a transitional species from dinosaurs to birds. Its teeth, claws and beady eyes make this creature similar to a dinosaur, and its plumage connects it to modern birds. For a long time, paleontologists did not know for sure whether the entire body of Archeopteryx was covered with feathers or whether they were only on the wings. But recently it was possible to find almost untouched fossil remains, thanks to which it became obvious that Archeopteryx had feathers on hind legs. These “pants” could perform several functions: thermal protection, camouflage, and perhaps even attract individuals of the opposite sex.

8. The mouth of Atopodentatus unicus resembled a zipper.

Its name is ancient reptile Atopodentatus unicus received thanks to a terrible mouth: Atopodentatus means “strange teeth”. The 3-meter-long monster's needle-like teeth protruded from the sides of its jaw, making the monster's mouth resemble a zipper. But in addition, Atopodentatus had a set of relatively standard “cutters” located along the lower and upper jaws. In total, the reptile had about 400 teeth. Despite its formidable appearance, Atopodentatus did not claim to be a great hunter. It fed on benthic organisms, using vertical needle teeth as a filter, and not at all to intimidate victims.

7. Crowned Triceratops

A close relative of the Triceratops, Regaliceratops peterhewsi, is called "Hellboy" because of the small horns above its eyes. Regaliceratops translates to "royal face with horns" and peterhewsi is a tribute to amateur paleontologist Peter Hughes, who first discovered the remains of this dinosaur. Unlike Triceratops, which had large horns on its forehead and a smaller protrusion on its nose, Regaliceratops had short horns on its forehead and a huge spike on its nose. The latter, apparently, was inherited from dinosaurs of another species, which became extinct 2 million years earlier. The shield on the forehead of Regaliceratops was bordered with pointed growths, which gave it a resemblance to a crown.

6. Synapsids couldn't sleep at night

About 300 million years ago, even before the appearance of dinosaurs, the Earth was inhabited by synapsids - the ancestors of mammals with lizard features. The preserved periocular bone rings of these creatures allowed scientists to judge their nocturnal lifestyle. What is very strange: the first mammals began to hunt at night in order to avoid meeting dinosaurs. The synapsids had nothing to worry about, however, even the huge Dimetrodon preferred to stay awake in the dark. Paleontologists can't figure out why, but it clearly has nothing to do with defense strategy.

5. Rhinorex and his royal nose

Rhinorex means something like "King of Noses", and Rhinorex condrupus lives up to its name. This strange dinosaur with a remarkable nose roamed the primitive wilds of Utah about 75 million years ago. No one knows why this creature needed such a long nose, but it is unlikely to have anything to do with smell. Perhaps the nose was used to attract the other half.

4. The relative of the T. rex wouldn’t hurt a fly.

The newly discovered Chilesaurus diegosuarezi is a cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, although its appearance is more smiley than scary. And rightly so: after all, the relative of the T. rex was a convinced vegetarian. And the largest representative of the species reached a ridiculous 3 meters in length.

3. Ancient snakes had legs

The ancestor of all snakes, who lived in a humid southern climate about 130 million years ago, was not much different from his modern heirs. The only significant difference is the presence of hind limbs. Yes, ancient snakes had small legs with real legs that ended in fingers.

2. Early birds resembled bats

Yi qi or “strange wing” is what paleontologists called a creature that lived in the second half of the Jurassic period. Its long fingers were covered with a membrane, which made the creature look like a modern bat. Yi qi had feathers, but it is unlikely that they played a special role during flight. Perhaps the “strange wing” could not fly at all. Most likely, this creature climbed trees using its claws and then glided from branch to branch for short distances.

1. The sperm was larger than the adult

Living millimeter-long ostracods are super-fertile, and one of their ancestors boasted some truly impressive sperm. Recently, scientists were lucky enough to find a portion of sperm preserved in the reproductive organs of a female ancient ostracod, whose age is estimated at 16 million years. Ancient sperm reached 1 cm in length, which significantly exceeded the size of an adult individual. This is a fairly rare phenomenon, although it has been observed in some species of moths and fruit flies.