Discover 10 Amazing Fun Facts About Extinct Animals You Never Knew!
1. Elton John Fish: The Rockin' Tiktaalik
Before "crocodile rock" was even a thing, an ancient fish was already channeling its inner Elton John and rocking the Devonian Period like a boss: The Tiktaalik, existing around 375 million years ago, not only had a neck and a croc-like skull, but also showcased the evolution from swimming fish to four-legged vertebrates with its unique fin structure that could prop itself up in shallow waters.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
2. Armadillo Smasher: Glyptodon's Club Tail
Meet the prehistoric car-smashing WWE heavyweight champion of armadillos – the glyptodon: Boasting a spiky-club tail that would make any dungeon master green with envy, this ancient armored juggernaut had the ability to shatter the bony back plates of fellow glyptodons in a single strike.
Source => allthatsinteresting.com
Did you know that Sunda tigers have incredible vision and hearing, putting Sherlock Holmes to shame? Discover how these whisker-detecting experts navigate the Sumatran jungles! 🐅🔍
=> Fun Facts about Sunda-Tigers
3. Party Bird: Agile Dodo Dancers
Who knew dodos were party animals? Dancing around the Mauritius nightlife, these flightless birds were the original breakdancers: Contrary to popular belief, 3D models by avian paleontologist Julian Hume reveal that dodos were quite agile and nimble, using their powerful legs to move swiftly despite their 70-centimeter height and weighing up to 39 pounds.
Source => cnn.com
4. Mammoth Music: Neanderthal Ivory Flutes
Before hitting a mammoth high note, the Neanderthals made sure to toot their own horns - or, more accurately, their mammoth ivory flutes: The resourceful Neanderthals utilized woolly mammoths for an abundance of purposes, from food and shelter to tools and art. They even crafted the world's oldest known flute from mammoth ivory! Nowadays, we might see the majestic woolly mammoths grace our planet once again through a biotechnology startup's ambitious goal of creating mammoth-elephant hybrid calves that could join the fight against climate change.
Source => discovermagazine.com
5. Pizza-Loving Archelon: Underwater Ninja Turtle
Picture this: a pizza-loving ninja turtle on steroids, sporting a wicked "hooked" beak like an avian predator at an underwater rave: Meet the Archelon, the largest turtle to have ever existed, measuring up to 15 feet long and weighing between 2.2-3.2 tons, feasting not only on shelled delicacies of the crustacean and mollusk varieties but also the occasional fishy snack—party in the Paleozoic, dudes!
Source => en.wikipedia.org
6. Plesiosaurs: Synchronized Swimming Champs
Move over, Michael Phelps: Plesiosaurs were the original underwater Olympians, combining synchronized swimming, and a touch of the long-necked ballet – all without needing a Speedo! The serious reveal: these extinct marine reptiles used their four flippers to "fly" through the ocean, with some species specializing in hunting small sea animals, while the short-necked plesiosaurs were the ultimate underwater predators of their time.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
7. Argentinosaurus: Tail-Swinging Giant
Whoever said size doesn't matter, obviously never met the Argentinosaurus: a 100-ton plant-muncher that used its ginormous tail like a medieval mace to ward off any pesky predators trying to take a bite.
Source => gagebeasleyshop.com
8. King Rodent: Josephoartigasia Monesi
Move over, Nutty Professor; the real king of the rodents has entered the building: The now-extinct Josephoartigasia monesi was the world's largest rodent, weighing in at a whopping 1500 pounds and dining on a scrumptious diet of soft plants and fruits in a lush South American environment filled with sabre-toothed cats and other exotic species during the Pliocene-Pleistocene period.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
9. Handlebar Mustache Elephant: Deinotherium
Ever heard of an elephant with an identity crisis? Meet Deinotherium: This extinct proboscidean had tusks that grew from its lower incisors, curving downwards and back, following its jawline like nature's own handlebar mustache. These quirky tusks could grow up to an impressive 1.4 meters in length!
Source => gbif.org
10. Angry Terror Birds: Phorusrhacids on the Prowl
Move over, Angry Birds, the terror birds are coming to town: Phorusrhacids were the top predators in South America's Cenozoic era, generally thought to have existed from 53 to 0.1 million years ago, but recent evidence suggests that smaller versions may have stuck around until just 18,000 years ago—still a bit of a debated topic, though!
Source => en.wikipedia.org
