Extinct Animals

Extinct animals are those species which are no longer living. This group includes prehistoric animals like dinosaurs and ice-age mammals, as well as moden species like the Dodo.

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The megalodon shark has intrigued scientists and the public alike with its nearly unfathomable size and power. Once ruling the ancient oceans, this prehistoric predator is often cited as the largest shark to have ever lived and even inspired a Jason Statham movie franchise.

By Clarissa Mitton

Determining the biggest dinosaur is a tricky process. Dinosaurs are extinct, so scientists can't simply go out and measure the world's biggest dinosaurs.

By Sascha Bos

If you like swimming in the ocean, you'll probably be glad to hear that Palaeophis colossaeus, a 40-foot sea snake, has been extinct for millions of years.

By Desiree Bowie

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Before the 2003 discovery of Titanoboa cerrejonensis, Gigantophis garstini was known as the largest snake to ever roam the Earth.

By Desiree Bowie

A study postulates that T. rex, the legendary monster dinosaur, may have had a kisser with lips that covered its huge teeth.

By Thomas Harlander

Bringing a species back from extinction might not be the stuff of sci-fi any longer.

By Jesslyn Shields

Utahraptors lived around 135 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period. So what does salt have to do with these massive dinosaurs whose fossils were first discovered in 1975?

By Mark Mancini

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Dimetrodon may look for all the world like a dinosaur, but was actually closer, evolutionarily speaking, to humans. Scientists are still trying to figure what their magnificent sails were used for.

By Mark Mancini

Known by the nickname "Mesozoic Cow," the African dinosaur Nigersaurus taqueti has also had its face compared to a vacuum cleaner.

By Mark Mancini

Fossils of just 12 individual Archaeopteryx, a winged dinosaur that live during the Jurassic, have ever been found. Aside from the rarity, what else makes this unique dinosaur so special?

By Mark Mancini

The giant castoroides thrived in the Great Plains, the Great Lakes region, the American South and Alaska. So why did this massive beaver die out?

By Mark Mancini

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Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the fiercest meat-eaters ever, is the animal that probably springs to mind when most of us hear the word "dinosaur."

By Mark Mancini

Ankylosaurus was a dinosaur with short, squat legs that allowed it to run at about 6 miles per hour – fast, but not fast enough to outrun a large carnivorous predator like Tyrannosaurus rex.

By Patty Rasmussen

Stegosaurus, an herbivorous dinosaur from 149 million years ago, walked on four legs, had a long, beak-tipped skull, a row of spikes adorning its tail and a pea-sized brain.

By Mark Mancini

Triceratops — which literally means "three-horned face" — is one of the most spectacular and well-known of all dinosaurs. It shared the Cretaceous landscape with, and probably was preyed upon by, Tyrannosaurus rex.

By Mark Mancini

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The extinct Titanoboa snake lived around 66 million to 56 million years ago. These things were massive and could reach 50 feet long and 3 feet wide making them the largest snake ever to have roamed the Earth.

By Mark Mancini & Desiree Bowie

Constantly compared to the Tyrannosaurus rex, the Giganotosaurus was one of a handful of dinosaurs that rivaled, or possibly exceeded, the creature in size.

By Mark Mancini

On Sept. 7, 1936, Benjamin, the last known Tasmanian tiger, died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania, Australia. But there are those who believe this extinct species still walks the Earth.

By Wendy Bowman

Back in the day, the soupy pre-Amazonian waters were filled with beasts like Stupendemys geographicus, a giant turtle the size of a sensible sedan.

By Jesslyn Shields

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The fossilized remains of Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, which means "big lion from Africa," were discovered not once, but twice.

By Mark Mancini

These super-frightening entelodonts (aka hell pigs) once patrolled throughout Eurasia, North America and Africa.

By Mark Mancini

Mid-Jurassic England was teeming with flighted creatures. Now we know it included one pterosaur called Klobiodon rochei.

By Mark Mancini

Lonesome George, the last of his species of tortoises, died in the Galapagos in 2012. But scientists have now finished analyzing his DNA and found some fascinating clues about giant tortoise longevity.

By Nathan Chandler

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The battle clearly ended in a slow death for both massive male beasts.

By Mark Mancini

The villainous dinosaur from 'Jurassic Park' probably never had an affinity for water.

By Mark Mancini