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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 1, 2024 8:13:10 GMT
Our first entry for this thread is the largest ever deer species, commonly called the 'Great Irish Elk': Name: MegalocerosPronunciation: Meg-ah-loss-seh-ross Meaning of name: "Great horn" Species: M. giganteus, M. matritensis, M. novocarthaginiensis, M. saviniSize: The largest species, M. giganteus, measured around 3 metres long, between 2 and 3 metres tall and weighing up to 700kgs. Family: Cervidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from multiple specimens discovered in Russia, China, Spain, Germany, Ireland and France. M. giganteus named in 1828. Other species named in unknown years. The most spectacular feature of this animal was its massive set of antlers. It's believed that only males had antlers and, on the largest species, these antlers spanned a width of nearly four metres and weighed more than 30kgs. Lived: 2.588 million years ago from the Gelasian stage of the Pleistocene era through to the most recent Ice Age in what is now Europe and Asia. Artist's impression of a family of M. giganteus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 2, 2024 6:39:08 GMT
Today's entry, often mistaken for a dinosaur, is actually more closely related to mammals: Name: DimetrodonPronunciation: Die-met-row-don Meaning of name: "Two measures of teeth" or "Two long teeth", in reference to its different tooth lengths. Species: D. angelensis, D. borealis, D. booneorum, D. dollovianus, D. gigahomogenes, D. grandis, D. limbatus, D. loomisi, D. macrospondylus, D. milleri, D. natalis, D. occidentalis, D. teutonisSize: Depending on species, measured between 0.6 and 4.6 metres long Family: Sphenacodontidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from many specimens, the first of which was discovered in the Red Beds of Texas sometime during the 19th century. D. borealis named by American palaeontologist, Joseph Mellick Leidy, in 1854. D. limbatus named in 1877. D. dollovianus, D. macrospondylus and D. gigahomogenes named in 1907. D. natalis named in 1936. D. booneorum, D. loomisi and D. milleri named in 1937. D. grandis named in 1940. D. angelensis named in 1962. D. occidentalis named in 1977. D. teutonis named in 2001. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 295 and 272 million years ago from the Asselian stage of the Early Permian through to the Roadian stage of the Middle Permian in what is now the south-central United States. Artist's impression of D. limbatus feeding on Varanosaurus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 3, 2024 11:09:07 GMT
The most famous prehistoric feline: Name: Smilodon Pronunciation: Smile-oh-don Meaning of name: "Knife tooth" Species: S. populator, S. fatalis, S. gracilisSize: Depending on species, measured up to 2.5 metres long and standing between 1 and 1.5 metres tall. The largest species, S. populator, weighed between 200 and 400kgs. Family: Machairodontinae (a sub-family of Felidae) Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from hundreds of individuals, many of which were discovered in natural traps such as the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. First discovered by Danish naturalist, Peter Wilhelm Lund, in caves in Brazil sometime during the 1830s. First discovered in the United States during the second half of the 19th century. S. populator named by Mr. Lund in 1842. S. fatalis named by American palaeontologist, Joseph Mellick Leidy, in 1869. S. gracilis named by American palaeontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, in 1880. Despite commonly being referred to as the Sabre-toothed tiger, Smilodon actually belongs to a different cat family. Lived: 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago from the Gelasian stage of the Early Pleistocene through to the Greenlandian stage of the Early Holocene in what is now western Canada, South America and the United States. Artist's impression of S. populator
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 4, 2024 9:27:12 GMT
The largest known flying insect: Name: Meganeura Pronunciation: Meg-ah-neur-ah Meaning of name: "Large nerved", in reference to the network of veins on its wings. Species: M. brongniarti, M. monyi, M. vischeraeWingspan: 75cm Family: Meganeuridae Diet: Carnivore/insectivore First fossils found: Known from several well-preserved specimens. First discovered in the Stephanian Coal Measures of Commentry, central France, in 1880. Named by French palaeontologist, Charles Brongniart, in 1885. Despite looking like a dragonfly, Meganeura and its relatives are generally referred to as Griffin-flies due to morphological differences between them and dragonflies. Lived: 300 million years ago during the Gzhelian stage of the Late Carboniferous in what is now France and England. Artist's impression of M. monyi
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 5, 2024 8:10:51 GMT
Name: Hesperornis Pronunciation: Hess-per-or-niss Meaning of name: "Western bird" Species: H. regalis, H. altus, H. bairdi, H. chowi, H. crassipes, H. gracilis, H. macdonaldi, H. mengeli, H. montana, H. rossicus, H. lumgairiSize: Between 1.2 and 1.8 metres long, 1.5 metres tall and weighing between 4.5 and 9kgs. Family: Hesperornithidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens. First discovered by American palaeontologist, Othniel Charles Marsh, in Kansas in 1871. H. regalis named by Mr. Marsh in 1872. H. crassipes and H. gracilis named in 1876. H. altus named in 1893. H. montana named in 1915. H. rossicus named in 1993. H. bairdi, H. chowi, H. mengeli and H. macdonaldi named in 2002. H. lumgairi named in 2016. Lived: Depending on species, lived from 83.5 to 78 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now Canada, Russia and the midwestern United States. H. regalis skeleton in diving posture
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 6, 2024 10:20:20 GMT
Largest ever predatory fish.... Name: MegalodonPronunciation: Meg-ah-low-don Meaning of name: "Big tooth" Species: O. megalodonSize: Estimated to have measured between 10.5 and 17 metres long. Estimated weight for adult males is between 12 and 34 metric tonnes while adult females were between 27 and 60 metric tonnes. Family: Otodontidae Diet: Carnivore. Fed on turtles and large marine mammals. First fossils found: Fossils belonging to this giant shark have been discovered worldwide. The most common are its massive teeth, some of which are more than 17cm (7 inches) long. Vertebrae have also been discovered. Named by Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz in 1843. Also known as Carcharodon megalodon as it was once thought to be closely related to the modern Great White. Lived: 23 to 3.6 million years ago from the Aquitanian stage of the Early Miocene through to the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene in oceans all across the world. Megalodon tooth compared to the tooth of a modern Great White.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 7, 2024 9:02:16 GMT
This fish is sometimes called the "Ironing board shark" due to the peculiar shape of its first dorsal fin. Name: Stethacanthus Pronunciation: Steth-ah-can-thus Meaning of name: "Chest spine" Species: S. altonensis, S. concavus, S. productus, S. neilsoni, S. praecursor, S. gansuensis, S. resistens, S. thomasiSize: Depending on species, measured up to 0.7 metres long and weighing around 9kgs. Family: Stethacanthidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in Asia, Europe and the United States, making Stethacanthus one of the best represented early sharks. S. altonensis named in 1875. S. resistens, S. thomasi and S. productus named in 1897. S. neilsoni named in 1898. S. praecursor named in 1918. S. gansuensis named in 2004. S. concavus named in 2018. The most unique feature of this fish is the distinctive anvil-shaped first dorsal fin, the top of which was covered with nine rows of large denticles. The top of the head was also covered with denticles. It's believed that only adult males had this odd-looking dorsal fin and that it may have been used for sexual display. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 382.7 and 298.9 million years ago from the Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian through to the Gzhelian stage of the Late Carboniferous in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered parts of what is now Europe, Asia and the United States. Artist's impression of a pair of S. altonensis
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 8, 2024 10:41:20 GMT
We're going from a shark with a funny-looking fin to a shark with a funny-looking mouth: Name: Helicoprion Pronunciation: Hel-e-co-pree-on Meaning of name: "Spiral saw" Species: H. bessonowi, H. davisii, H. ergasaminonSize: Uncertain. Size probably varied between species. Family: Agassizodontidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known mostly from "tooth whorls" discovered in Russia, Australia, the United States, China, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Norway, Canada, Japan and Laos. H. bessonowi and H. davisii named in 1899. H. ergasaminon named in 1966. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 290.1 and 268.8 million years ago from the Asselian stage of the Early Permian through to the Roadian stage of the Middle Permian in oceans and shallow seas worldwide. Helicoprion tooth whorl
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Helicoprion_reccon.png/1920px-Helicoprion_reccon.png)
Artist's reconstruction of H. davisii
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 9, 2024 11:09:46 GMT
Name: Megatherium Pronunciation: Meg-ah-thee-ree-um Meaning of name: "Great beast" Species: M. americanum, M. altiplanicum, M. gallardoi, M. istilarti, M. medinae, M. parodii, M. sundtiSize: Depending on species, measured up to 6 metres long, 4 metres tall when standing upright and weighing around 4 metric tonnes. Family: Megatheriidae Diet: Primarily herbivorous, but may have included meat in its diet. First fossils found: Commonly called the Giant ground sloth. Known from several specimens. First discovered in 1788 on the banks of the Luján River in Argentina. Additional fossils discovered in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. M. americanum named by French palaeontologist, Georges Cuvier, in 1796. M. sundti and M. medinae named in 1893. M. gallardoi named in 1921. M. istilarti named in 1925. M. altiplanicum named in 2001. M. parodii named in an unknown year. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 5.332 million years ago and 11,700 years ago from the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene era through to the end of the Pleistocene era in what is now Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Artist's impression of M. americanum alongside Glyptodon
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 10, 2024 7:48:09 GMT
Name: PalaeochiropteryxPronunciation: Pay-lee-o-ky-rop-teh-riks Meaning of name: "Ancient hand wing" Species: P. tupaiodon, P. sambuceus and P. spiegeliWingspan: Depending on species, measured between 25 and 30cm. Family: Palaeochiropterygidae Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, including complete skeletons with impressions of soft tissue, fur and even stomach contents, discovered in Germany, Austria and the western United States. P. spiegeli and P. tupaiodon named by Pierre Revilliod in 1917. P. sambuceus named by 2022. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 47.8 and 41.2 million years ago during the Lutetian stage of the Middle Eocene in what is now Germany, Austria and the western United States. Palaeochiropteryx fossil discovered in Vienna, Austria.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 11, 2024 8:46:27 GMT
Name: Thylacoleo Pronunciation: Thy-lak-oh-lee-oh Meaning of name: "Pouch lion" Species: T. crassidentatus, T. hilli, T. carnifexSize: The largest species, T. carnifex, was close to the size of a modern jaguar, measuring around 1.14 metres long, 0.7 metres tall and weighing between 101 and 164kgs. Family: Thylacoleonidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens. First discovered by Major Thomas Mitchell in the Wellington Valley region of New South Wales during the early 1830s. T. carnifex named by English palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1859. T. crassidentatus named in 1962. T. hilli named in 1977. Commonly called the 'marsupial lion', Thylacoleo carried its young in a pouch, like modern kangaroos, and isn't related to modern lions. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 5 million and 30,000 years ago from the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene era to the Tarantian stage of the Pleistocene era throughout mainland Australia. T. carnifex skull
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 12, 2024 8:07:00 GMT
Full name: Stygiochelis Pronunciation: Stig-ee-oh-chel-iss Meaning of name: "Turtle from the river of Hell" Species: S. estesiSize: 30cm long Family: Baenidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several complete skeletons discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Named in 1971. Lived: 72.1 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in freshwater streams in what is now the western United States. ![](https://iili.io/JyyHnJ2.webp)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 13, 2024 10:51:55 GMT
Big, fuzzy elephants: Name: Mammuthus Pronunciation: Mam-mu-thus Meaning of name: "Earth burrower" Species: M. africanavus (African mammoth), M. columbi (Columbian mammoth), M. creticus (Cretan dwarf mammoth), M. exilis (Pygmy mammoth), M. lamarmorai, M. meridionalis (Southern mammoth), M. primigenius (Woolly mammoth), M. rumanus, M. subplanifrons (South African mammoth), M. trogontherii (Steppe mammoth). Size: The largest species, M. columbi, measured around 7 metres long, 4 metres tall and weighed 10 metric tonnes. Family: Elephantidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Each species is known from multiple specimens. First discovered in Siberia in 1722. M. primigenius named by palaeontologist, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, in 1799. M. meridionalis named in 1825. M. columbi named by Scottish palaeontologist, Hugh Falconer, in 1857. M. lamarmorai named by palaeontologist, Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major, in 1883. M. trogontherii named in 1885. M. creticus named in 1907. M. rumanus named in 1924. M. subplanifrons named by American palaeontologist, Henry Fairfield Osborn, in 1928. M. exilis also named in 1928. M. africanavus named by French palaeontologist, Camille Arambourg, in 1952. Lived: 5 million years ago to 4,000 years ago from the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene era through to the Meghalayan stage of the Holocene era in what is now the US, Africa, Europe and Asia. Skeleton of M. columbi on display at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 14, 2024 10:49:01 GMT
Name: Coelodonta Pronunciation: See-low-don-tah Meaning of name: "Hollow tooth" Species: C. antiquitatis, C. nihowanensis, C. thibetana, C. tologoijensisSize: Depending on species, measured up to 4 metres long, 2 metres tall and weighing between 1.8 and 2.7 metric tonnes, roughly the same size as a modern White rhino. Family: Rhinocerotidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Commonly called the Woolly rhino due to its covering of long, thick fur. Known from several well-preserved specimens, some of which include not only the skeleton but also the skin and internal organs. First discovered in Austria in 1335. C. antiquitatis named by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in 1799. C. nihowanensis named by Min-Chin Chow in 1978. C. tologoijensis named in 1966. C. thibetana named by Chinese palaeontologist, Deng Tao, in 2011. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 3.7 million years ago and 14,000 years ago from the Zanclean stage of the Early Pliocene through to the Tarantian stage of the Late Pleistocene in what is now Europe, Russia and Asia. Artist's impression of C. antiquitatis
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 15, 2024 5:47:21 GMT
Name: Keichousaurus Pronunciation: Key-chow-sore-us Meaning of name: "Keichou lizard", from the old name for Guizhou Province, southwestern China, where its fossils were discovered. Species: K. hui, K. yuananensisSize: Depending on species, measured up to 30cm long. Family: Keichousauridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from several skeletons, including many that are almost complete. First discovered by Chinese palaeontologist, Hu Chengzhi, in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, in 1958. K. hui named in the same year by Chinese palaeontologist, Yang Zhongjian. K. yuananensis named by Mr. Zhongjian in 1965. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 251 and 227 million years ago from the Olenekian stage of the Early Triassic through to the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now southwestern China. Artist's impression of K. hui
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