Megaloceros

Megaloceros (Megaloceros giganteus) were giant deer. Megaloceros meant "giant antler". Since they were deer, they were mammals. They were in the deer family, called the cervid family. Megaloceros were herbivores. They ate things like grass and vegetation.

The Megaloceros' closest living relative was the Fallow Deer. Megaloceros had very big antlers. They were around 2.1 metres at the shoulder. The Megaloceros' were a reddish color, with a circular pattern to it. In cave paintings, they were shown with color, so we think that they were a reddish color.

Sometimes, Megaloceros is mistakenly called the Irish Elk. Irish Elks are only found in Ireland, when Megaloceros fossils were found all across Europe. Also, Megaloceros were deer, not elk. The Megaloceros' antlers were so huge, it was hard for them to even lift their heads. The antlers were a big problem, since they were about 3 metres wide. They lived 400,000-9,500 years ago, in the Quaternary period. Megaloceros were big deer.

European Lion

European lions (Panthera leo) were almost like modern lions. The only big difference between them was that they were probably white. They were polar lions, and they had white fur. Since they were lions, you probably know that they were mammals. The European lions were carnivores. They liked to eat large herbivores like hoofed animals (deer, horses), and many other creatures that aren't able to defend themselves well enough, such as small mammoth cubs.

European lions lived 900,000-10,000 years ago, in the Quaternary period. They lived with Mammoths, big woolly rhinos, humans, Saiga antelopes, Megaloceros, and many other animals. Their closest living relative is the African Lion. European Lions were about 1.5 metres at the shoulder. European lions were a lot like modern African lions. They even share the same scientific name, which is Panthera leo. Their fossils were very common in Euorpe, which is why they are called the European lions. European lions were a bit bigger than the African lions, though. Ancient cave paintings have European lions on them, and they didn't show a mane. That could mean that European lions didn't have a mane, or that could have been females only. Males could have had a mane, but that would be hard to find out. European lions were quite successful. Lions are still alive now, which means that European lions were successful.

Mammoth

Mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) was a very famous animal. Mammoths, as you probably know, were like furry elephants with huge, curved tusks. Mammoth might have meant "mammut", which meant "earth mole". Mammoths were always found half-buried when they died.

As you probably know already, mammoths were mammals. Mammoths were mammals in a group called the proboscid group, which is the elephant family. They were herbivores. They like to eat grass and sedges. Their closest living relatives were elephants. They looked a lot like elephants. Only their tusks were different and they were very furry, and they had a few features that set them apart like the bump on the mammoths' head, and many different things. The male mammoths were about 3 metres tall, and female mammoths were about 2.75 metres tall.

Many mammoth bones were found well in Siberia. They lived 135,000-11,000 years ago. For the winter, their coats grew very long, even as long as 1 meter. They lived through a few Ice Ages. They lived in the Quaternary period. They lived long enough to see humans. Their tusks attracted the humans, so they were hunted a lot. Mammoths were very trustworthy animals. They cared about each other a lot, like modern elephants. Mammoths were very well-known creatures.

Woolly Rhinos

Woolly Rhinos (Coelodonta antiquitatis) were just woolly rhinos (obviously). They were in a group of mammals called the perissodactyl group. They were herbivores. They ate grass only. Their closest living relatives were the Sumatran rhinos. They were around 2 metres at the shoulder.

In the winter, the rhino's fur got really thick so that they could live well. All woolly rhino fossils were found in Europe. They were alive 500,000-10,000 years ago. They lived through a lot of Ice Ages. Cave paintings showed that woolly rhinos' middles had a bunch of darker fur. Horns of the woolly rhinos were found in Russia. In Siberia, there were lots of frozen cadavers of them. Most of them didn't have any fur or horns. Woolly rhinos didn't have a very good sense of sight, but they had a good sense of smell. They depend more on their noses than their eyes. Woolly rhinos were dangerous to be around.

Megatherium

Megatherium (Megatherium americanum) was a huge and strong animal. Megatherium meant "giant beast". They were gigantic. Megatherium were massive mammals, in a group called the edentate group. They were also herbivores, so they ate vegetation, and might've scavenged meat.

Megatherium were very big sloths. They didn't live on trees, since they were too big for that. But the Megatheriums' closest living relatives were the tree sloths. They weighed around 3.8 tons. They were about 6 metres long and 4 metres tall.

Megatherium fossils were found in North and South America, mainly from Argentina and Texas. They weighed as much as a elephant. Elephants are heavy and huge. They had strong claws. They lived through an Ice Age, in the Pleistocene period. They lived 1.9 million-8,000 years ago. They were very astonishing animals.

Phorusrhacos

Phorusrhacos (Phorusrhacos longissimus) pronounced Fo-Russ-RAH-kuss, was a long necked bird that lived in South America 27 million-15,000 years ago. Phorusrhacos means "rag bearer". They were called Terror Birds, because they were so terrifying and fierce. Everything in the Pleistocene time period was scared of them, excluding the Smilodon.

Phorusrhacos were carnivores. They ate small mammals and carcasses. They sometimes ate what the Smilodon hunted, when the Smilodon finished their meal. They were related to Seriema birds, but they were much taller. Phorusrhacos were 2.5 metres tall. On their heads, there were loose-looking feathers, probably why their name meant rag bearer. Some fossils of them are found in North America. But mainly, they were found in South America, normally Argentina. They used to be the top predators in South America. But that was before the Smilodon populator came.

Terror Birds were fast, and dangerous. They were huge and had a sharp beak, along with sharp talons. They ran fast like ostriches, because their legs were so long. Phorusrhacos didn't look a lot like ostriches, but they were fast like them. Phorusrhacos were dangerous birds in South America. They also lived through an Ice Age.

Doedicurus

Doedicurus (Doedicurus clavicaudatus) was an animal with a very sharp tail. They were known and named for their tails. So, Doedicurus meant "pestle tail". The tail was spiky, and they could severely injure another animal if they hit them hard. The whole Doedicurus was strong. The shell was hard, the tail was very strong, and their feet and legs were armoured. Their heads were armoured as well.

Doedicurus were mammals, in a group called edentate. They were also herbivores, that ate vegetation. Their closest living relatives are armadillos. They looked like armadillos, a lot. They were about 4 metres long and 1.5 metres high. Next to a Smilodon, they looked huge. They lived 2 million years-15,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene period. Their home continents were South and North America. They were extremely successful, and some myths say that they were around when the first humans on South America came. They also lived through a few Ice Ages.

Smilodon

Smilodon (Smilodon populator) was a fierce feline with sharp teeth. They were named for their sharp teeth. Smilodon meant "knife tooth". They can be called sabre-tooth cats, because of their extremely sharp teeth. And they weren't called sabre-tooth tigers, since they didn't look a lot like tigers, and are not closely related to tigers. They were carnivores, and mammals, obviously, since they were felines (in the cat family). Their closest living relatives are modern cats. Scientists say that the males had a mane, like a lion. The females didn't have a mane, according to the scientists, that made them look a bit like lionesses.

They ate large animals, mainly herbivores, like Macrauchenia. They were huge predators. They were about 1.3 metres at the shoulder, and they were deadly. They were known as the fiercest known predators in the continent. The fossils were found in Argentina and Brazil. They were immensely successful animals. Thousands of fossils were found in North America and South America. The biggest type of Smilodon is Smilodon populator, the ones that lived in South America. The North America's sabre-tooths were smaller, and they were called Smilodon fatalis.

Smilodon lived in the Pleistocene time period, and were very very successful. They were known for their sharp, knife-like teeth. They were delicate teeth, and they were easily broken, which forced the Smilodon to hunt only with their smaller, inner teeth. One Smilodon fossil was found with one broken sabre. Most fossils were found in the La Brea tar pits in California. There they were very carefully preserved. Smilodon lived 1.5-0.1 million years ago, and they lived through the first Ice Age. They almost lived into the Quaternary period, which meant they almost lived in the same time period as the first humans. Smilodon lived for a long time and they lived in both South and North America. They are very well-known now. They were very successful cats.

Macrauchenia

Macrauchenia (Macrauchenia patachonica) was an unusual looking animal that looked like a llama. Macrauchenia meant "long llama". They were mammals, in a group called the litoptern group. Macrauchenia were herbivores, so they fed on trees.

Macrauchenia have no living relatives. They didn't look a lot like any modern animals, either. They were fast animals. Their most dangerous enemy is the Smilodon. They were normally fast enough to escape, but sooner or later, one ill-fated Macrauchenia gets caught.

They were about 1.5 metres at the shoulder. The fossils were discovered by Charles Darwin. Many Macrauchenia fossils were found in Argentina. All of them lived in South America. They looked quite peculiar. The Macrauchenia were the last of the litoptern family. So now, they have no descendants. Macrauchenia weren't exactly successful creatures, but the litopterns lived for a long time, so they could be called somewhat successful creatures.

Ancylotherium

The Ancylotherium (Ancylotherium hennigi) lived in the Miocene period, 6.5-2 million years ago. They lived with the Dinofelis, Australopithecus, Deinotherium, and many other animals. Ancylotherium meant "hooked beast". They were mammals, in a group called the perissodactyl group. Ancylotherium meant "hooked beast".

Ancylotherium was a herbivore so they ate vegetation. They looked a lot like Chalicotheres and acted like them. They were related to the same modern animals. Their closest living relatives are the horses, rhinos, and tapirs. They are about 2 metres at the shoulder. But Ancylotherium weren't related to Chalicotheres. Ancylotherium also didn't walk on their knuckles. They walked on their hands.

Deinotherium

Deinotherium (Deinotherium bozasi) were not dinosaurs. They were elephant-like mammals. They were so dangerous, their name means "terrible beast". They are from the deinothere family from the mammal category.

They were herbivores, but still deadly. They fed on vegetation and stripped bark. They looked a lot like elephants. They were related to elephants. They were much bigger than elephants; they were 4 metres at the shoulder (males), and 3.5 metres at the shoulder for females. They had a tusk sticking out of their chins, and like an elephant, had a long trunk. They were fast and sometimes they got too dangerous, filled with testosterone, the Australopithecus had to stay away if they didn't want to get crushed. They lived 20-2 million years ago, with the Australopithecus, in the Miocene period.

Dinofelis

Dinofelis (Dinofelis barlowi) was a very fierce and vicious cat predator. Dinofelis means "terrible cat". They were mammals, obviously, since they were cats. They were murderous carnivores that ate antelope, baboons, and australopithecines (plural for australopithecus).
Dinofelis were 70 cm at the shoulder. They were bigger than modern cats, but they're related to modern cats. They looked a bit like leopards, only smaller, and had sabres.

Dinofelis fossils were like gold dust (rare). They were all found in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. They had strong hind legs, which made scientists think that they ambushed their prey and pinned it down until it died. Dinofelis were also a bit like jaguars. They were quite small, but one could kill you. They could hunt Australopithecus, so they would be able to hunt humans, if they were still around.

Australopithecus

Australopithecus (Australopithecus afarensis) were primates that were so similar to humans. Australopithecus meant "southern primate". They lived in Ethiopia, Africa. Some lived in Kenya and Tanzania. There was a famous Australopithecus fossil that scientists named Lucy.
Australopithecus were similar to humans, usually because they walked upright and most apes don't. They were omnivores, just like humans. They normally ate fruit, nuts, and meat. They are related to humans.

The males are about 1.5 metres tall and females are about 1.2 metres tall. They lived in the Oligocene period, 3.9-3 million years ago. They lived in the Miocene period.

Entelodont

The Entelodont (Entelodon) was a cool animal. Entelodont means "perfect toothed". They had very sharp teeth. They were so hostile, they fought with each other in the mating season a lot. They were omnivores, and they mainly scavenged carcasses. They were related to pigs and animals with cleft hooves. Entelodon had hooves. They were approximately 2.1 metres at the shoulder, if they were really big. They were dangerous animals. They lived in the Oligocene period and could eat Calicotheres and many other scavenged prey. The skeletons were found in mainly Mongolia and North America. They were quite big and scary animals. They aren't that smart; they have small brains. They are even smaller than oranges. But they were powerfully built animals.

Bear Dog

Bear Dogs (Cynodictis), also known as Amphicyonids, were tiny dogs. Amphicyonid meant "in between dog". They obviously were mammals. They were small carnivores, eating small rodents and rabbits. They looked more like dogs than bears, and they barked like dogs, probably.

Their closest living relatives were modern bears and dogs. They were only 30 cm at the shoulder. They were delicate creatures, with tiny bones. They were found in Europe, Asia, and North America. They, also lived in the Oligocene period with the Chalicotheres, Hyaenodon, and the Indrioctheres.

Chalicothere

Chalicothere (Chalicotherium) was an animal that looked really weird. The name meant "pebble beast". They were mammals. Their main threat was the hyaenodon. They ate soft leaves; they were herbivores.

They walked on the backs of their hands to protect their long claws. They were 2.6 metres tall (the males only), and the females were 1.8 metres tall. They were related to tapirs, rhinos, and horses. They were alive in the Oligocene period. They got eaten by hyaenodon and entelodonts. They are actually really cool. They walked on their knuckles.

Indricothere

Indricothere (Paraceratherium transouralicum) was a huge herbivore. Their closest living relatives are the rhinos. They look like huge slim hippos. Indricothere means "indrik beast" an indrik is a mythical Russian beast with a single horn, a bit like a unicorn. Indricotheres don't have horns, though. And, they were land mammals.

They ate upper branches in trees. They were so huge. Large males were 7 metres. They weighed 15 tons, and the females weighed 12 tons. Indricotheres lived in the Oligocene period with the hyaenodon. They didn't have that many enemies, since they were so big.

Hyaenodon

Hyaenodon (Hyaenodon gigas) was a fierce, brawny, fearsome predator that lived in the Oligocene period. They had exceedingly sharp teeth. Hyaenodon means "hyena toothed". Their teeth were so strong, they enabled the hyaenodon to consume every single thing on a carcass. Their teeth even allowed them to eat the teeth on the kill.

They were mammals and they have no closest living relatives now. They were quite successful mammals. The bones were found in Mongolia, and North America. The largest type of Hyaenodon was Hyaenodon giagas. They lived about 41-25 million years ago.

Hyaenodon were huge. They probably had a very keen sense of smell. The big species were as big as small rhinos, and that it very big. They weren't related to hyenas, even though their name was hyaenodon. They could eat Chalicotheres, another kind of animal in the Oligocene period. They were very eerie predators.

Andrewsarchus

The Andrewsarchus (Andrewsarchus mongoliensis) was a big carnivore that lived in the late Eocene period. It was a mammal, living on land. They looked like big dogs, but they were actually related to whales, hippos, and hoofed animals. Andrewsarchus had hooves, not claws. They were about 2 metres high and 5 metres long.

They lived about 45-36 million years ago. Some people say that the Andrewsarchus was a scavenger, and some say that they were active hunters. They walked on four legs, like a wolf and many other mammals. They ate just about anything that was meat. They could eat turtles and lots of mammals. They were the largest predators on land in the late Eocene period. Andrewsarchus weren't very successful mammals, though.