Godzilla waking: extinct species, amaze

Features climate in different geological era contributed to the rapid development of a vegetation and the appearance of certain types of animals. Thus, the conditions of the Jurassic period could not be better suited for the life of dinosaurs. They settled throughout the land and in the water environment on every continent of the planet. Dominated by the dinosaurs in the Mesozoic era, and thanks to numerous films have gained wide recognition.

But apart from them, the history of evolution knows other species that with time also disappeared. Many of them have huge dimensions, amazing imagination. We tracked down the 10 most amazing extinct, who once lived on Earth that resemble rather the monsters of the worst nightmares.

Megatherium

An extinct genus of giant sloths lived in the Pliocene and Pleistocene in South and North America partly from 2 million. 8000 years ago. Animal weight could reach up to 4 tonnes. At the height they were almost twice as big elephant, and their length is almost 6 meters. They moved mostly on their hind legs. The structure of their teeth suggests that they were herbivores, but some scientists have reason to believe that sloths are not neglected carrion and large animals.

Gigantopithecus

It is a genus of great apes, which existed in the Late Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene. Their remains were found on the territory of modern India, China and Vietnam. Presumably, their growth was from 3 to 4 meters and weighed 550 kg. The basis of their diet consists of bamboo.

dunkleosteus

Rhode armored fishes unit class placoderms arthrodires lived 415-360 million. Years ago in the Devonian period. It was the largest marine predators of its era. Scientists have not managed to identify the exact size of the fish. Presumably, their head exceeds one meter, and the entire body length of at least 6 meters and can reach 20 meters. Teeth fish replaced powerful bone plates, developing pressure of 55 MPa, which is comparable with the bite of the crocodile.

to

phorusrhacidae

With the Paleocene to the Pliocene 62-2 mln. Years ago, one of the inhabitants of South America were a family of carnivorous flightless birds gruiformes squad. The height of the bird is at least 1 meter, maximum - 3. Birds have a powerful beak and carried on a predatory lifestyle. They ate mostly meat and carrion animals they had killed.

Megalania

The largest of all known terrestrial lizards lived on Earth in the Pleistocene era, beginning with 1, 6 million ago and ending about 40,000 years ago. The species was common in Australia. Raptor length of between 4 and 5 to 9 m, and the weight has reached from 331 to 2200 kg. Lizards settled in sparse forests and grassy savannas and eat mammals.

Haast Eagle

It is the largest bird of historical epoch. It weighed 10, and then all of 14 kg. Larger ones were females. The scope of their wings amounted to 2, 6 meters. The main habitat for the eagle was the South Island in New Zealand. They ate mostly birds moa and other large species of flightless birds.

short-faced bear

Gigantic view from the bear family inhabited the planet at the end of the Pleistocene, about 44 000 and 12 500 years ago. Lived animal in North America. Judging from the remains, bear the height is accounted for by 1, 8 meters, and weighs about 600 kg, major same individual can reach 1100 kg. Bear hunting large animals such as bison, horses and deer.

deinosuchus

. About 80-73 million years ago, the most dangerous inhabitant of the individual reservoirs was "terrible crocodile" - an extinct genus alligator. He was dominant apex predator in the coastal areas of eastern North America. 14-15 meters in length and weighing over 12 tons - on the dimensions deinosuchus several times superior to modern crocodiles. Such size and strong teeth it was enough to kill a large dinosaur and a giant sea turtle.

titanoboa

A close relative of the boa constrictor inhabiting the Columbia area of ​​58-60 mln. Years ago, weighed more than a ton and is 13 meters in length. Sacrifice snake kill his body, wrapping around her and tightly tightening ring.

Megalodon

Even 28 million. Years ago, during the Late Oligocene to Pleistocene, one of the most feared predators on the planet was a shark. Its size is 16 meters long and weighed 47 tons of it. It is assumed that the bite force reached about 10, 8 tons. Unlike other species, Megalodon was distributed widely. Its staple diet is the large fish and cetaceans.