Penguins, kangaroos and dragonflies: 10 animals that were once giants

Some animals had truly huge ancestors. For example, megalodons lived on the planet - the ancestors of the white shark, which reached 18 meters in length and weighed more than ten tons. These monsters could well feast on a whale. However, they were not the only giants of the past. Once you learn a little more about these monsters, you immediately realize how lucky we are that our planet has changed and they exist only as museum exhibits.

Giant sloths

If today sloths are very cute creatures whose weight does not exceed ten kilograms, then their ancestors were real monsters. So, the largest of them are called megalonixes, they weighed about a ton, and in height reached almost four meters. Of course, because of their size on the trees, these giants could not live, so they just walked on the ground.

Giant cheetahs

European cheetahs inhabited the territory of modern Europe about two to three million years ago. They were about twice as large as the fastest modern cats: they weighed about 110 kilograms, and in length reached about one and a half meters. These cats could keep up with large prey: elk, horse, hipparion. Today, cheetahs usually catch gazelles, and sometimes hares.

Giant bears

Among the large predators was a bear. The giant short-faced bear, in addition to a shortened muzzle, differed from our contemporaries in its size. So, these bears on average reached two meters at the withers, and especially large individuals - all three. As soon as they stood on their hind legs, they were 4.5 meters high. Just imagine such a monster! If you transfer it to our reality, then the bear could easily reach the edge of the roof of a one-story house. These giants weighed about one and a half tons: almost two times more than the Kodiaks living in Alaska and today are the largest clubfoot.

Giant otters

Another super-predator is Siamogale melilutra, or giant otter. She lived in the Miocene era and became extinct about 5.3 million years ago. The animals lived in eastern Asia and were about the size of a wolf. That is, an ordinary otter is about four times smaller than its ancestor. The giants weighed about fifty kilograms, and they also had powerful jaws, with which they could easily split the clam shell or gnaw the bones of birds.

Giant penguins

These are penguins today - one of the cutest creatures on the planet, and a meeting with their ancestors could be a shock to us. The fact is that in the past penguins were huge, much taller than humans. So, the species Kumimanu biceae reached 170 centimeters, but anthropornis was generally two meters tall and weigh 130 kilograms. Emperor penguins, the largest living on Earth, are real babies no more than a meter tall in comparison with them.

Kangaroo Giants

Probably, when the Procoptodons jumped, the earth shook from them. If, of course, they could even jump: after all, these monsters were three times larger than their contemporaries, weighed about 240 kilograms, and were three meters tall. Meeting with an ordinary kangaroo today may not turn out very well: sometimes they bring down cyclists. It is quite easy to imagine how much strength is in the hind legs of a three-meter proctopodon.

Giant dragonflies

About 300 million years ago, the Earth’s atmosphere was slightly different: the oxygen level was 35%, the dead trees did not decompose completely. It was then, by the way, that the main deposits of coal were formed. Such a large amount of oxygen in the atmosphere of the Carboniferous period fed insect tissues and promoted their growth. Very good growth. Then there were huge cockroaches and other insects of gigantic sizes on the planet. Among them was a maneuver - a giant dragonfly, the wingspan of which reached 65 centimeters.

Giant monkeys

There were monsters among primates: giant petitas could grow up to four meters and weighed about 400-500 kilograms. True, in general, they were very harmless: they ate bamboo. Although some findings suggest the opposite: these primates ate everything. Their closest modern relative is the orangutan.

Giant salmon

And of course fish ... Everyone knows about megalodon, but giants were not only among them. Saber-toothed salmon lived in the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean for many millennia: from 11 to 5 million years ago. He had 3-centimeter-sharp teeth like daggers, and the size of these fish was impressive: 2.7 meters in length, weighing 180 kilograms.