21.11.2015 02:03
In the past, many of the organisms inhabiting the Earth were much larger than today’s animals. There were also monstrous millipedes and giant sharks. Giants Parade presented the BBC Earth.
sarcosuchus Imperial could easily eat small dinosaurs
The most difficult of all the animals that ever lived on Earth is the blue whale, weighing more than 150 tons. As far as we know, no one living organism in history has had similar weight. But some creatures can boast larger size.
The dinosaurs are, perhaps, undeserved scrutiny of the public, because apart from them in the world lived and many other animals of enormous size, which we never have to see in the flesh.
Some of them are gigantic ancestors of living creatures, while others have left no offspring, and so are particularly amazing.
The remains of the prehistoric giants able to shed light on the gradual changes in the conditions of life on Earth, because the size animals are often directly dependent on the environment.
In addition, there is something fascinating in the extinct giants, the appearance of which we can currently only imagine.
We offer our readers the top ten most amazing creatures , found that in nature we are no longer destined to.
Egirokassida (Aegirocassis benmoulae)
Egirokassida filtered seawater, absorbing plankton
might look like the fruit of love Whale and Lobster? If such a creature existed in the world, it is possible that it would be like egirokassidu.
This prehistoric shrimp two meters long lived on Earth about 480 million years ago. She belonged to the now extinct genus Anomalocaris.
The animal looked like a space newcomer. With mesh appendages on the head it decant plankton from sea water.
Life egirokassid came in a period of growth in species diversity of plankton. As a result, these animals do not compete for food most other Anomalocaris – carnivorous predators with sharp teeth.
It is possible that egirokassida help us figure out how to develop the limbs of arthropods, represented by modern spiders, insects and crustaceans.
By studying fossils egirokassidy, the researchers concluded that she had a twin blade
Until recently, based on the findings is not fully preserved fossils, scientists believed that Anomalocaris was only one pair of flexible lateral lobes on each segment body. However, the analysis of the remains egirokassidy indicates that each segment of these creatures there were two pairs of blades used for swimming.
Authors of scientific work, published in March 2015 in the journal Nature, argue that the paired blades egirokassidy the upper and lower elements of the limbs of modern arthropods.
Scientists have once again learned previously found fossils of other species of the genus Anomalocaris and concluded that those were paired blades. They came to the conclusion that in some species during evolution occurred splicing blades.
This has led scientists to conclude that Anomalocaris were prehistoric arthropods. This idea has previously been criticized because of the strange structure of the body of representatives of this kind.
Until 1985, paleontologists have thought that Anomalocaris appendages on their heads were shrimp, their studded teeth mouth appendages belonged jellyfish and torso – sea cucumbers.
merostomes (Jaekelopterus rhenaniae)
So probably looked prehistoric merostomes
merostomes – the most terrible nightmare Arachnophobia (person experiencing abnormal fear of spiders) . This giant 2.5-meter-long claim to the title of the largest arthropod ever inhabited the earth.
In English, there are known as the “sea scorpion”.
This title is inaccurate. Merostomes there was a scorpion in the truest sense of the word, and the calculation was done, probably not at the bottom of the seas and in the rivers and lakes. He lived about 390 million years ago and lived on fish.
For the first time this species was described in 2008 in a quarry .: near the German town of Prüm found the fossilized claw length of 46 cm – all that remains of the animal. However, the ratio between the size of the claws and body have merostomes very consistently, so the researchers came to the conclusion that J. rhenaniae reach a length from 233 to 259 cm.
The find – another proof that prehistoric merostomes were very large.
No one really knows why merostomes grown to such gigantic proportions.
Some scientists suggest that the solution lies in the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere: in some periods of the previous level of oxygen in it was much higher than it is now.
Others point to the relatively small variety then living vertebrate predators, including fish.
arthropleura (Arthropleura)
Contemporary millipedes fits in the palm; Now imagine the same is 2.6 meters long – it will be like arthropleura
Another contender for the title of largest arthropod ever – arthropleura tysyachenozhek of the genus, which reached 2.6 m in length.
arthropleura lived in the period from 340 to 280 million years ago, and it is possible that they were required for its giant size of the high content of oxygen in the atmosphere.
No one is unable to find petrified arthropleura entirely. Fragments of skeletons up to 90 cm in length were found in the south-west of Germany, and trails that are reputed scientists were left by these millipedes are found in Scotland, the United States and Canada.
The researchers believe that the body arthropleura consisted of about 30 segments covered top and sides with protective plates.
Since the fossil jaws arthropleura is not found, it is difficult to say for sure what it ate.
The paleontologists who have studied the fossilized excrement this being revealed in them fern spores, which indicates the likely presence in their diet of plant foods.
popularization arthropleura filmmakers do – it is mentioned popular science television series BBC “Walking with Beasts” (2005) and “First Life” (2010.).
meganeura (Meganeura)
Now imagine an insect, like a dragonfly, with a wingspan of 65 cm – this could be about meganeura
For the first time gigantism among arthropods associated with a high content of oxygen in the atmosphere in 1880 after the discovery of the remains meganeura in France.
These creatures that look like dragonflies, lived about 300 million years ago and lived on amphibians and insects.
The scope of their wings is 65 cm. It is one of the largest species of flying insects have ever inhabited the earth.
Strictly speaking, meganeura They belong to the genus strekozopodobnyh insects. From the known dragonflies featured some of the structural features of the body.
The restrictions on the size of insects imposes delivery method oxygen from the air to the internal organs. The role of light they perform tracheal tube system.
In the Carboniferous period, 359-299 million years ago the oxygen content in the air has reached at least 35%. Perhaps due to this circumstance meganeura able to extract more energy from the air and retain the ability to fly, even with the increase in size.
The same hypothesis explains why meganeura not survive in later periods when the oxygen content in the air fell.
sarcosuchus Imperial (Sarcosuchus imperator)
sarcosuchus Imperial is also called “superkrokodilom”
In the process of evolution, not only crushed insects. Paleontologists who searched for the remains of dinosaurs in Niger in 1997 were surprised to find fossilized jawbones crocodile, whose length was comparable to adult height.
Later it turned out that scientists have found the best preserved to date copy of sarcosuchus Imperial – prehistoric giant crocodile living in full-flowing rivers of the northern part of sub-Saharan Africa 110 million years ago.
An animal that is known informally as superkrokodilom, is 12 meters long and weighed about eight tons, that is, it was twice as long and four times heavier than the largest of the living crocodiles.
It is possible that in addition to fish and sarcosuchus ate small dinosaurs.
Its narrow jaw reaching 1.8 m in length and were dotted with more than a hundred teeth. On the tip of the upper jaw had a massive bone build-up.
sarcosuchus eyes moving in their sockets vertically. Apparently, this monster resembles a dwelling in India and Nepal Ghanaian gharial, which is listed in the Red Book.
Despite its unofficial name, sarcosuchus Imperial is not a direct ancestor of today’s 23 members of the order of crocodile. He belonged to an extinct family of reptiles – folidozavrov.
There have been found and other equally large fossils of prehistoric krokodiloobraznyh reptiles, including those related to the extinct genus deinosuchus.
They were relatives of modern alligators and may reach a length of 10 meters.
The crocodiles can grow to such proportions as lived mainly in water that supported their weight – on land that would be impossible.
In addition, crocodile skull is very strong. Accordingly, the great and the compression force of the jaws, allowing reptiles to hunt large prey.
Metopozavr (Metoposaurus)
The two-meter wide metopozavr had a flat head with a mouth dotted with hundreds of teeth
Prehistoric fish I had to fear not only crocodiles. On Earth in ancient times were carried out as a giant carnivorous reptiles that look like huge salamanders.
The petrified remains of metopozavra were found in Germany, Poland, North America, Africa and India.
Skeleton metopozavra Image copyrightShalom CC by 3.0
Metopozavr had little to do with current salamander m
Most of the prehistoric species have disappeared from the face of the Earth about 201 million years ago. Then many extinct vertebrates, including large amphibians, the dinosaurs that gave an opportunity to establish its dominance on the planet.
Metopozavr was described in March 2005. Stephen Brashettom the University of Edinburgh and colleagues. He was named in honor of Metoposaurus algarvensis Algarve in southern Portugal, where the remains were found.
There was a two-meter metopozavra wide flat head with mouth dotted with hundreds of teeth. A small, poorly developed limbs indicate that he spent not so much time on the ground.
Metopozavr is the ancestor of modern amphibians, such as frogs and newts. Despite its appearance, metopozavr had little to do with the current salamanders.
megatherium (Megatherium)
megatherium considered the ancestors of modern sloths, armadillos and anteaters
What would be like a cross between bear hamster and size of an elephant? Perhaps, megatherium.
This extinct race of giant sloths live mainly in North America in the period from 5 million to 11 000 years ago.
Although megatherium were smaller than the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths, they They are among the largest land animals. Their length is six meters.
megatherium were relatives of the modern sloths, armadillos and anteaters.
Skeleton megatherium was extremely strong. Perhaps the animal has more power, but did not differ speed of movement.
Many scientists believe that megatherium used their long forelimbs, equipped with large claws to shearing off the trees foliage and to peel the bark at a height inaccessible to more small animals.
However, expresses the assumption that megatherium can eat and meat. The shape of their cubits involves the ability for rapid movement of the forelegs. It is possible that megatherium kill their prey swipe of the paw.
“Terrible Birds” (Fororakosovye – Phorusrhacidae)
flightless birds could in one fell swoop to swallow a dog of medium size, or similar animal
In recent years, Scientists are attempting to clone an extinct animal species, including the Pyrenean ibex, the marsupial wolf, passenger pigeon, and even a woolly mammoth.
Let’s hope they do not come to mind to experiment with DNA representatives of the family fororakosovyh – or, as they are called “terrible bird” of the order gruiformes.
These flightless birds reach three meters in height, running at speeds up to 50 km / h and could in one fell swoop to swallow a dog of medium size.
Because of its height and a long neck, so “terrible bird” can detect prey at a great distance, and long, powerful legs allow them to develop the necessary hunting speed.
With its curving downward beaks forarokosovye tearing prey in much the same as do modern birds of prey.
“Terrible birds” lived between 60 and mimllionami two years ago. Most of the known fossils found in South America, and some – in the North.
At the time, some scientists argued on the basis of findings in Florida, that these birds have become extinct just 10,000 years ago, but it later turned out, that the age of the found remains much older.
It is believed that the closest relatives forarokosovyh existing birds – it lives in South America, the family kariamovyh whose representatives reach 80 cm in height.
Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon, or Carcharocles megalodon)
Fossilized Megalodon was much larger than the modern great white shark
You may have heard stories about the giant sharks three times longer than the great white shark, and 30 times heavier than her. Do not worry: these monsters for a long time does not exist.
They are called Megalodon, and no one knows exactly how large they were in reality. Like all sharks, the skeleton of Megalodon was composed of cartilage instead of bone, so the fossil record to our time almost did not survive.
The result has to draw conclusions about the size of this fish is only on the basis of the detected teeth, from which and there is the Greek name of monsters, which means in translation “a huge tooth”, and individual portions of the vertebrae.
Teeth Megalodon and modern akulyImage copyrightSally McCrae Kuyper SPL
Megalodon got its name from the giant teeth
According to the latest scientific estimates, Megalodon was the length of 16-20 m. For comparison, the length of the largest modern fish – great white shark – not more than 12.6 m.
The giant Megalodon jaws were more than 200 serrated teeth, each up to 18 cm. The strength of the compression jaws was 11-18 tonnes – 4-6 times higher than that of Tyrannosaurus rex.
The assumption that the Megalodon survived to the present day, it was in the film “Monster Shark: Megalodon alive”, shown in 2013 at Discovery Channel .
The film was subjected to withering criticism of the fact that it used falsified footage and commentary of actors posing as scientists.
These same scientists believe that the Megalodon lived from 15.9 to 2.6 million years ago. After that, according to a scientific paper published in 2014, the largest inhabitants of the oceans began to whales.
titanoboa (Titanoboa cerrejonensis)
Model gigantic snake titanoboa exhibited at the Washington museum
About 60 million years ago shortly after the dinosaurs became extinct on the planet appeared reptiles whose length is twice the length of the largest modern snakes.
The length of the snake species titanoboa reached 14.6 meters, and its mass is greater than a ton. The first snake was described in 2009, after the Colombian coal mine found fossilized vertebrae and the skull of the monster.
It is believed that titanoboa – a distant relative of the anaconda and boa constrictor. Snake killed prey, squeezing it rings its trunk.
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