The 30 Strangest Prehistoric Animals to Ever Exist
The world has always been filled with majestic and impressive creatures of all shapes and sizes, but the ones that lived in prehistoric eras might have been the most incredible of all.
Of course, this includes dinosaurs, but millions of years ago, the earth was also host to unbelievable mammals, birds, fish and everything in between. Curious to discover its oddities? Keep clicking through to learn about 30 of the strangest extinct animals to ever walk the planet.
1. Vorombe Titan
Vorombe titan was an incredible elephant bird that lived in Madagascar and went extinct in about 1000 A.D. These were the largest elephant birds to ever walk the planet, standing at almost 10 feet tall and weighing nearly a ton, making them the heaviest known birds in all of history.
2. Carnotaurus
While the Carnotaurus may look like any other enormous and hulking dinosaur at first glance, these creatures are remarkable for their tiny arms, which are shorter than any other big carnivorous dino's. It lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, and humans know a lot about it because of one incredibly well-preserved fossil skeleton.
3. Estemmenosuchus
Estemmenosuchus means "crowned crocodile" in Greek, earning its name due to the fascinating horns that grow from the sides and tops of the head, almost like a moose. It lived during the Middle Permian period and, despite being referred to as a reptile, actually belonged to the therapsid family, which includes the ancestors of mammals.
4. Caihong Juji
You're about to see a lot of bird-like dinosaurs on this list—which makes sense, given that modern birds are the descendants of two-legged dinos called theropods. Caihong juji is one such dinosaur from China, which lived in the Late Jurassic period. It's believed to have only weighed about a pound, and fossilized feathers reveal structures that imply it had iridescent coloring like pigeons.
5. Beibeilong Sinensis
Beibeilong sinensis gets its name for the Chinese Pinyin words for "baby dragon," which is appropriate because the fossils were found in the Henan province of China. Unlike in most cases, where adult fossils were found, Beibeilong was found in the form of a fossilized embryo (nicknamed "Baby Louie") and egg. These oviraptors lived during the Late Cretaceous period.
6. Erythrosuchus
Erythrosuchus was a reptile that roamed South Africa during the Triassic period, and is notable for being an impressive 16 feet long, making it the largest predator of its time. They're notable for their enormous skulls, taking up most of their bodies, and also the fact that their legs closely resemble those of the dinosaurs that followed after.
7. Chupkaornis
Chupkaornis was a genus of flightless birds that lived in Hokkaido, Japan during the Late Cretaceous period. These diving birds had long, thin necks and sharp beaks, as well as squat bodies suited for swimming. They're Japan's oldest fossil bird and, oddly enough, were discovered by amateur fossil collectors.
8. Avicranium
Even though Avicranium was a reptile, its name is Latin for "bird cranium," referring to its bizarrely bird-like skull. Only one specimen of this species has been found, and it was located in New Mexico. This creature lived during the Triassic period and likely lived in trees, where it evolved features that would one day aid flying animals in flight.
9. Pseudotherium Argentinus
Pseudotherium argentinus was an incredible mammal relative that lived during the Triassic period in what is Argentina today. It was a little less than a foot long and had long, piercing fangs, which could have helped it to fight or to attract mates. When they inhabited the planet, it lived among ferns and conifers in forests.
10. Siriusgnathus Niemeyerorum
Siriusgnathus niemeyerorum was a cynodont that was discovered in Brazil's Candelária Formation and lived during the Triassic period. Despite its fearsome look, it was an herbivore. The word "cynodont" means "dog teeth," which certainly describes this creature, although all mammals technically fit into this clade (including us humans).
11. Giant Moa
The giant moa was an incredible bird native to New Zealand, which actually lived until about 1500 A.D. It may have been the tallest bird ever to live, with certain specimens reaching up to 12 feet tall. Unfortunately, these great creatures were wiped out by humans who hunted them for food.
12. Ground Sloth
While there were technically a great number of ground sloth species, these wonderful creatures from North America and South America were wiped out, and to this date, it's unclear whether they went extinct due to human involvement or on their own. Their name differentiates them from the tree sloths that still exist today. These creatures were partially responsible for spreading avocado seeds over large distances after eating the fruit.
13. Jianianhualong Tengi
Jianianhualong tengi were another highly feathred dinosaur discovered in China during the Early Cretaceous period. Discovered in 2017, it was the first undeniable proof that troodontid dinosaurs had feathers. In fact, "Jianianhualong" means "Jianianua dragon," referring to the wing-like limbs of this unique proto-bird.
14. Zhongjianosaurus Yangi
Besides its uniquely dinosaur-like face, we wouldn't blame you for thinking Zhongjianosaurus yangi was just a plain old bird. This Cretaceous dinosaur was discovered in China's Yixian Formation and was a predator that likely spend time flying from tree to tree in search of its prey. It's the smallest creature in its clade.
15. Bullockornis Planei
One look at Bullockornis planei, and you can see why it's been nicknamed the "thunderduck" or "demon-duck of doom." This ancient flightless bird lived in what is now Australia during the Middle Miocene period and grew to be more than eight feet tall. Their massive skulls and large beaks have led some to speculate that they were meat-eaters, though most scientists agree they probably were herbivores. They may be related to today's ducks and geese.
16. Proclinodontomys Dondasi
Proclinodontomys dondasi actually isn't the regal, bear-like creature in the image above, but the rodent-like critters that are hanging out around its feet. These Pleistocene era-mammals were discovered in Brazil and make up a previously undiscovered type of spiny rat. Their unique upper incisors make them quite different from their nearest relatives.
17. Caelestiventus Hanseni
Caelestiventus hanseni was an unusual species of winged reptile, or pterosaur, that lived in western North America during the Triassic period. It lived in the desert, and predates other similar pterosaurs by a whopping 65 million years. And while most pterosaurs were tiny, this one had a wingspan of nearly five feet, as well as an unusual skull with three different tooth shapes.
18. Triceratops
You might be wondering why the world-famous Triceratops has found its way on this list, and that's because these incredible creatures have recently been speculated to be even weirder than we ever imagined. They lived during the late Cretaceous period in what's now North America, and their odd anatomy has led scientists to think they had air-filled sacs near their nostrils.
19. Mauriciosaurus
Mauriciosaurus was a plesiosaur, or Mesozoic marine reptile, discovered in Mexico in 2011. Their most distinctive feature is the unusual arrangement of their belly ribs, but they're also notable for their short neck and stubby tail, compared to other plesiosaurs. So far, only one specimen of this creature has been found.
20. Hongyu Chowi
Hongyu Chowi lived in the Devonian period and was a special kind of lobe-finned fish. It was discovered in China's North China Block and baffled scientists because it didn't fit neatly into the existing evolutionary tree. While it has some similarities to ancient fish called rhizodonts, it also has a shoulder girdle, suggesting similarities to four-legged animals.
21. Dromornis
Dromornis was another genus of massive prehistoric birds, with some standing at almost 10 feet tall and weighing 1600 pounds. Based on their appearance (and the fact they lived in Australia) you might assume they're related to emus, when in actuality they're more closely linked to turkeys, pheasants and geese. These herbivores used their large beaks to cut through tough plant stalks.
22. Lisowicia Bojani
Understanding the Lisowicia bojani requires a little bit of technical knowledge. For one, it was a dicynodont, or two-tusked Triassic herbivore, as well as a synapsid, or fossil reptile with mammal features. It lived during the Late Triassic period in what is now Poland and was the biggest animal around, and it independently evolved many features that would later become common in mammals.
23. Arambourgiania
Arambourgiania was also a pterosaur, but this one lived in the Late Cretaceous period and may have had a wide range, as fossils have been found in Jordan, and possibly the United States. They're one of the biggest flying animals ever known to live, with a mind-bending wingspan of up to 43 feet.
24. Perameles Papillon
Perameles papillon, or the "butterfly bandicoot," lived in what is now Australia during the mid-twentieth century. While it's not technically prehistoric, it is quite the unusual extinct animal. For one, the dark brown patch on its behind resembled a butterfly. This marsupial died out after non-native foxes were introduced to their habitats.
25. Moschops
Moschops means "calf face," referring to the fact that this therapsid from the Guadalupian epoch had a short, thick head, which it might have used to head-butt its competition for mates. Despite looking like reptiles, they walked more like mammals with their legs underneath them rather than to the side. Their fossils were discovered in South Africa.
26. Gorynychus
Gorynychus was a mid-Permian therapsid, discovered in Kotelnich, Russia. It actually gets its name from Zmey Gorynych, a three-headed dragon from Russian mythology, despite having just the one head. This wolf-like prehistoric creature had large canine teeth for hunting, and was somewhere between a reptile and a mammal.
27. Nuralagus
Nuralagus is sometimes referred to as the Minorcan giant lagomorph, with "lagomorph" being the animal family including rabbits and hares. Indeed, this creature found on the island of Menorca somewhat resembles a massive bunny. Lacking predators, they grew to be about a foot and a half tall, and had a short spine that made them unable to hop like their modern relatives.
28. Elasmotherium
You've heard of the woolly mammoth, but how about a woolly rhino? The Elasmotherium (also known as the Siberian unicorn) is believed to have lived across Eurasia for millions of years, until it disappeared about 39,000 years ago. In addition to looking quite different from today's rhinos, it had long legs capable of galloping like a horse.
29. Mourasuchus Pattersoni
At first glance, Mourasuchus pattersoni might not look that different from modern alligators and crocodiles, but the differences are actually staggering. This giant caiman lived in South America during the Miocene period and is notable for its rows of numerous tiny, conical teeth. Though you probably wouldn't want to get bitten by this creature, they were likely filter feeders who used their teeth to strain tiny animals out of the water. And did we mention they grew up to 36 feet long?
30. Nakonanectes
Nakonanectes was a plesiosaur that swam chilly waters during the late Cretaceous period, though its fossil was located in the state of Montana in 2010. Unlike the other creatures in its family, it has a short and comparatively stubby neck, and at 18 feet long, it's also one of the smallest that has been discovered.
Love natural oddities? Click HERE to discover the 35 weirdest Australian animals you've never heard of.