In the history of the Earth, say paleontologists had many giant animals, which is larger than, for example, the blue whale, which remains the record for weight – these marine mammals can reach a weight of 150 tonnes.
In this case, it is not about dinosaurs, as in the history of our planet were other creatures, the size of which is many times superior to modern animals. Ten of the most amazing giants (except dinosaurs), which man will never see and can only in his imagination to imagine their appearance is as follows:
– In the first place, scientists have put two-meter prehistoric shrimp called Egirokassida (Aegirocassis benmoulae), who lived on the Earth 480 million years back in time to an unprecedented growth of various types of plankton. According to scientists, the appearance that resembled a giant alien as their main food – plankton – prehistoric shrimp extracted using incredible mesh appendages on its head. According to paleontologists, this ancient creature on earth, leaving no descendants, is a kind of prehistoric arthropods. While before 1985, scientists seriously believe that the processes of color Egirokassid were shrimp, the body of these fossils belonged to sea cucumbers, and jaw – jellyfish.
– The second place of the list of fossil giants got merostomes (Jaekelopterus rhenaniae). If modern man has looked at this 2.5-meter nightmarish creature at once to understand how people had arachnophobia – fear of spiders. However, people these creatures that lived on the Earth 390 million years ago, did not eat, as they prefer fish from the rivers and lakes, where they actually lived. At the same time, scientists are still arguing as merostomes could grow to such gigantic proportions.
– On the third line of the rating placed arthropleura (Arthropleura). Imagine an ordinary centipede, but only a length of 2.6 meters. Such arthropods giants meet in the world has 280 million years ago. Scientists do not yet know what to eat these amazing creatures of the genus tysyachenozhek, but suggest that their diet was plant foods.
– No less amazing looks ancient dragonfly called meganeura (Meganeura). 65-inch wingspan of the largest in the history of our planet flying insects that lived 300 million years ago, allowed the researchers to put it in fourth place in the list of fossil giants. At the same time, scientists believe that these giants could exist only in the Carboniferous period of earth’s history, when the atmosphere contained 35% more oxygen than it is now. Only in such circumstances, the giant dragonflies could fill their lungs with oxygen in the form of a tubular tracheal system and produce enough energy to fly.
– fossil crocodiles – sarcosuchus Imperial (Sarcosuchus imperator) – rightfully occupy fifth place ranking. Prehistoric giant crocodiles occurred in the northern part of the rivers of tropical Africa has 110 million years ago and reached a weight of 8 tons with a length of 12 meters. Strong skull allowed prehistoric monster squeeze their narrow jaws, which were dotted with more than a hundred teeth with such force that his prey becomes not only fish, but also small dinosaurs. Scientists say that this monster was not the ancestor of the modern crocodile, as relates to the extinct species folidozavrov.
– In the history of the Earth there are also giant carnivorous reptiles. These ancient lizard Metopozavry (Metoposaurus), similar to modern salamanders disappeared 201 million years ago, that does not prevent them to take sixth place in the list of fossil giants. The two-meter Metopozavry probably scared to death to the people of his broad, flat head with powerful jaws literally strewn with hundreds of teeth. These ancestors of modern frogs and newts preferred almost all the time to spend in the water, because their underdeveloped limbs were ill-suited to movement on land.
– the seventh line of the list of extinct giants is occupied by a prehistoric sloth, more reminiscent of a cross between bear and a hamster, but with the size of a modern elephant. These six-meter creature is a tremendous strength and speed of movement, lived in North America, 5 million years ago. I ate giant, which is the ancestor of modern sloths, anteaters and armadillos, mostly vegetarian diet, but probably did not disdain and meat.
– The eighth place in the list of fossil animals got the most “terrible” birds in our history planet. Representatives of the family Fororakosovyh (Phorusrhacidae) reached three meters high, running at a speed of 50 km / h and could in one sitting swallow average dog. Relatives of those monsters who disappeared about 2 million years ago, scientists believe the 80-centimeter Kariamovyh members of the family, now living in South America.
– Another 2.6 million years ago in the ocean depths of the planet met a 20-meter Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon, or Carcharocles megalodon). This ancient shark, whose mass is 30 times, and the length is three times the largest of the existing fish – white shark, which cause real terror on marine life of those times his terrible jaws, containing more than 200 18-inch serrated teeth. This ocean monster, which occupies ninth place ranking fossil giants could squeeze his jaws with a force of 11-18 tons, which was not available, for example, the tyrannosaur.
– «Ten” mining giants closes titanoboa (Titanoboa cerrejonensis). This giant snake appeared on Earth about 60 million years ago, reached a length of 14.6 meters and weigh up to one ton. According to scientists, titanoboa, is a distant relative of modern anacondas and boas, could only exist at the time when the Earth’s climate was much warmer than it is now. But production of this ancient reptile grew and giant prehistoric crocodiles.
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