It was about 66 million years ago when the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. Since then, many new groups of giant creatures have started roaming the Earth. Many such creatures have since become extinct, but some left behind distant relatives which are roaming the Earth even today. Let’s look at some of the great prehistoric creatures that took over after the dinosaurs and modern animals that remind us of their incredible existence.
Terror Birds and Their Living Relative, the Crested Seriema
Terror birds-large, carnivorous, and flightless predators, one of the most fearsome groups of prehistoric birds. Terror birds spread over Earth from about 53 to 2.5 million years ago, primarily over South America before taking off for North America during the Great American Interchange. Terror birds could reach sizes as large as 3 metres, so a terror bird may easily be a top predator in its ecosystem. Presumably, small to medium-sized mammals and reptiles would make up their diet.
Terror birds gained dominance, but eventually they went extinct. Experts believe that they might have disappeared because of possibly a change in the environment and competition with North American predators. Every member of the terror bird family is extinct; however, they do have relatives in the current world through the Crested Seriema. The crested seriema is about 90 cm tall, so it is not as large as its ancestors. However, its predatory nature reminds one of the same ancient giants, and it has distinct behavior whereby it kills prey by slamming it against the ground; this is a technique that possibly inherited from its ancestors, the terror birds.
Glyptodon: The Armadillo’s Giant Relative
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The Glyptodon was one of the armored mammals, living from about 3.2 million years ago till around 11,000 years ago. These are large creatures residing in South America which were not meant to run but to defend themselves. They were armed with huge round shells and stubby legs; they survived with the shell fighting off the predators. Some of the species reached 2 meters in length and weighed up to 400 kilograms.
Interestingly, Glyptodons have close modern-day relatives-the giant armadillo and the pink fairy armadillo. While one can weigh as much as 80 kilograms in size, not far from the Glyptodon in looks, the other is a minuscule version in size, growing to only about 12 cm and weighing about 120 grams. The arms and legs of the two armadillo species remind us of the ancient armored mammals that once roamed the Earth.
Megalodon and the Shortfin Mako Shark
Among possibly the most widely recognized extinct creations, it is often depicted through popular media as an incredibly monstrous gigantic shark. Found from about 23 million years up to 3.6 million years ago, it was thought to be not only the largest shark but also the largest fish that ever existed. Estimated lengths are said to reach as high as 20 meters and weigh about 100 metric tons. Its likely prey consisted of whales, and other large macro marine mammals: sea turtles and seals, which then ruled the ocean.
Because of its fame, the true look of the Megalodon remains a mystery for science to unravel. The real remains known to science exist in fragmentary form, but interestingly, the closest living relative to the Megalodon in terms of family relationship is the shortfin mako shark, rather than the great white shark. Although the shortfin mako is significantly smaller and streamlined for speed, it allows us to imagine what the tremendous Megalodon might have looked like.
Conclusion
From the terrifying terror birds to the armored Glyptodon and the gigantic Megalodon, these extinct giants have left some magnificent legacies behind. From the terror that they inspire or at least was supposed to inspire, their modern day relatives give a glimpse into the world of the prehistoric creature. Though they are considerably smaller in size and not exactly fearsome, these animals connect us to a time when the Earth was made of giants. Fossils and their living relatives together help us understand the wonderful diversity of life that exists on our planet.
If you know any more extinct species of which modern relatives you are aware of, please do let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this post, do give it a like and subscribe for more informative posts about prehistoric creatures.
