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.

Topics to Explore

Why were so many prehistoric animals so big?

Yunnanosaurus

Rare Egyptian Fossil Find Holds Clues About African Dinosaur Migration

Ceratosaurus

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Giant VW-sized Turtles Once Prowled South American Waters

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 Feb 26, 2020 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Prehistoric Predator Rediscovered in Museum Drawer

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

By Mark Mancini Apr 26, 2019 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Scary Prehistoric 'Hell Pigs' Once Roamed the Earth

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

By Mark Mancini Feb 8, 2019 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Fanged, Flying Reptiles Once Soared Over Jurassic England

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

By Mark Mancini Jan 9, 2019 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Lonesome George Lived to Be 100 Years Old. Genome Sequencing Is Figuring Out How

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 Dec 11, 2018 Extinct Animals / Other Extinct Animals

Newly Discovered Gordodon Beast Was an Herbivorous Pioneer

This fin-backed pelycosaur roamed what's now the American Southwest 298 million years ago. And it's by far the oldest-known vegetarian tetrapod with gaps between some of its teeth, which is a big deal.

By Mark Mancini Nov 21, 2018 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

How Two Rival Mammoths Lost an Epic Duel 12,000 Years Ago

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

By Mark Mancini Aug 29, 2018 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Spinosaurus Was a Lousy Swimmer, Study Says

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

By Mark Mancini Aug 28, 2018 Dinosaurs / Late Cretaceous Dinosaurs

Prehistoric Turtle Had a Toothless Beak But No Shell

A 220 million-year-old turtle fossil discovered in China is the first of its kind ever to be found.

By Mark Mancini Aug 22, 2018 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Who Owns the Rights to a Dinosaur Skeleton?

Someone just paid $2.36 million to take home an exquisite dinosaur skeleton. The sale has added to the growing scientific anxiety about the commodification of precious, irreplaceable fossils.

By Mark Mancini Jun 19, 2018 Dinosaurs / About Dinosaurs

Today’s Birds Likely Evolved from Ground-Dwelling Feathered Dinosaurs

New research suggests the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs probably burned Earth's forests, requiring modern birds' common ancestors to live on the ground.

By Jesslyn Shields Jun 6, 2018 Dinosaurs / About Dinosaurs

The Mastodon Boneyard That Stole Thomas Jefferson’s Heart

Massive mastodons roamed lower Kentucky during the last ice age. Jefferson was so fascinated by the creatures he was convinced they still roamed the plains in the 1800s.

By Mark Mancini May 1, 2018 Extinct Animals / Prehistoric Animals

Possible 'Baby' T. Rex Enters Dinosaurian Debate

University of Kansas paleontologists are comparing the bones of a new T. rex to determine if they've got a juvenile Tyrannosaurus or a mature Nanotyrannus on their hands.

By Mark Mancini Apr 4, 2018 Dinosaurs / Late Cretaceous Dinosaurs