Over the course of Earth’s history, countless species have come and gone. Some have disappeared due to natural causes, while others have been driven to extinction by human activity.
Despite their absence, many of these animals continue to fascinate us with their unique features and behaviors. In this article, we will explore the top 9 dopest extinct species to ever walk the Earth. From the woolly mammoth to the thylacosmilus, these animals are sure to capture your imagination and leave you in awe of the incredible diversity of life that once existed on our planet.
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Top 9 Dopest Extinct Species To Ever Walk The Earth
Woolly Mammoth
The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was an extinct species of mammoth that lived during the Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with the African Mammuthus subplanifrons in the early Pliocene.
The woolly mammoth began to diverge from the steppe mammoth about 800,000 years ago in East Asia. Its closest extant relative is the Asian elephant. The woolly mammoth is probably the best-known prehistoric animal due to the many frozen specimens with preserved soft tissue and depictions by contemporary humans in their art. Fully grown males reached shoulder heights between 2.67 and 3.49 m (8.8 and 11.5 ft) and weighed up to 8.2 tonnes (9.0 short tons) .
These animals grazed on plants, using their 15-foot-long tusks to dig under snow for food like shrubs and grasses. Like today’s elephants, woolly mammoths likely gave birth to one calf at a time, and the females and their young roamed in herds of about 15 individuals. The woolly mammoth was probably about the size of African elephants, around 13 feet tall.
But woolly mammoths had much smaller ears, which kept them from losing body heat. They were also covered in two layers of fur—the shaggy outer layer could be 20 inches long and helped them stay toasty in temperatures as low as minus 58°F.
Recently, there have been efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth through genetic engineering.
Chinese Paddlefish
The Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) was an extinct species of fish that was native to the Yangtze and Yellow River basins in China. It was one of the largest species of freshwater fish, with records of specimens over three meters (ten feet) and possibly 7 meters (23 feet) in length.
The Chinese paddlefish had a long, silver-gray body and a very large mouth. Its dorsal and anal fins were situated considerably far back on the body, and its paddle-like rostrum was narrow and pointed, between a quarter and up to a third of total body length. The fish was largely solitary, and occupied the lower-mid layers of the water column.
Chinese paddlefish were noted for being strong swimmers, and they fed with their mouth open, using their long, sword-like snout to sense electrical activity to find prey, such as crustaceans and fish, including gobies and minnows. T
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he Chinese paddlefish and its close relatives have been around for at least 200 million years, surviving unimaginable changes and upheavals, such as the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs and marine reptiles like plesiosaurs that it swam alongside. Unfortunately, the Chinese paddlefish was declared extinct in 2020, with the last confirmed sighting in 2005.
Hispaniola Monkey
The Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis) was an extinct primate that was endemic to the island of Hispaniola, in the present-day Dominican Republic. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century, likely related to the settlement of Hispaniola by Europeans after 1492.
Here are some more details about the Hispaniola monkey:
– The Hispaniola monkey was a capuchin-sized primate that was roughly the size of a small cat.
– It was tree-dwelling and lived largely on fruits and seeds.
– The exact timing and cause of the extinction are unclear.
– The Hispaniola monkey is the most recently discovered species of the Xenotrichini tribe of primates, which were endemic to the Caribbean islands.
– The relationship of these species is supported by details in the formation of the skull and the lower jaw, such as a reduction in the number of teeth.
– A 2018 DNA study of the Jamaican monkey suggested that it diverged from its closest relative Cheracebus around 11 Ma, during the Late Miocene, which is younger than the 18 Ma Paralouatta from Cuba, meaning that the Jamaican monkey has a separate origin from the rest of the Antillean monkeys, making the group polyphyletic.
Overall, the Hispaniola monkey is an interesting example of an extinct primate that was once native to the Caribbean islands.
Tasmanian Tiger
The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), was an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. Here are some interesting facts about the Tasmanian tiger:
– The Tasmanian tiger was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times, with a body length of up to 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) and a weight of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds) .
– The Tasmanian tiger had a distinctive striped pattern on its lower back and a long, stiff tail that could be used for balance.
– The Tasmanian tiger was a nocturnal hunter that preyed on a variety of animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, and small mammals.
– The Tasmanian tiger was hunted to extinction by humans in the early 20th century, with the last known individual dying in captivity in 1936.
– There have been occasional reports of sightings of the Tasmanian tiger in the wild, but none have been confirmed.
– There have been efforts to revive the Tasmanian tiger through cloning or genetic engineering, but the feasibility of these efforts is uncertain.
Overall, the Tasmanian tiger is a fascinating example of an extinct animal that once roamed the wilds of Australia and Tasmania.
Saber-Toothed Tiger
The saber-toothed tiger, also known as Smilodon, is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the family Felidae. Here are some interesting facts about the saber-toothed tiger:
– The saber-toothed tiger was not closely related to modern tigers or other cats, and it lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya – 10,000 years ago).
– The most prominent feature of the saber-toothed tiger was its long, sharp canine teeth, which could be up to 7 inches long.
– The saber-toothed tiger was a powerful predator that likely hunted large herbivores like bison and mammoths.
– The saber-toothed tiger is one of the most iconic “Ice Age” mammals in North America, and it is known for its thousands of skeletons preserved in the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits of California.
– The saber-toothed tiger is the California State Fossil and the second most common fossil mammal found in the La Brea tar pits.
– The saber-toothed tiger is not a single species, but rather a group of carnivorous mammals that evolved independently several times during the history of mammals.
– The anatomy and appearance of the saber-toothed tiger are largely unknown, and depictions rely on the help of the artist’s imagination in order to fill in the gaps.
Overall, the saber-toothed tiger is an interesting example of an extinct predator that once roamed the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch.
Dodo Bird
The dodo bird (Raphus cucullatus) was an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Here are some interesting facts about the dodo bird:
– The dodo bird was first encountered by Dutch sailors in the late 16th century, and it became extinct less than 80 years later due to deforestation, hunting, and destruction of their nests by animals brought to the island by the Dutch.
– The dodo bird was a large bird, approximately three feet tall, with downy gray feathers and a white plume for a tail.
– The dodo bird had a distinctive beak that may have been pale yellow or green, which was heavy, curved, and probably the dodo’s only real defense; it was capable of delivering a fairly painful bite.
– The dodo bird was variously declared a small ostrich, a rail, an albatross, or a vulture by early scientists, but in 1842, Danish zoologist Johannes Theodor Reinhardt proposed that dodos were ground pigeons, based on studies of a dodo skull he had discovered.
– Most contemporary descriptions of the dodo bird are found in ship’s logs and journals of the Dutch East India Company vessels that docked in Mauritius when the Dutch Empire ruled the island.
– The dodo bird is frequently cited as one of the most well-known examples of human-induced extinction and also serves as a symbol of obsolescence with respect to human technological progress.
Overall, the dodo bird is an interesting example of an extinct bird that once lived on the island of Mauritius.
Irish Elk
The Irish elk (Megaloceros giganteus) is an extinct species of deer in the genus Megaloceros and is one of the largest deer that ever lived.
Here are some interesting facts about the Irish elk:
– The Irish elk is misnamed, for it is neither exclusively Irish nor is it an elk. It is a giant extinct deer, the largest deer species ever, that stood up to seven feet at the shoulder (2.1 meters), with antlers spanning up to 12 feet (3.65 meters).
– The Irish elk evolved during the glacial periods of the last million years, during the Pleistocene Epoch. It ranged throughout Europe, northern Asia, and northern Africa, and a related form is known from China.
– The most recent remains of the species have been carbon-dated to about 7,700 years ago in western Russia.
– The Irish elk is known from abundant skeletal remains which have been found in bogs in Ireland.
– The Irish elk is not closely related to either of the living species currently called elk: Alces alces (the European elk, known in North America as the moose) or Cervus canadensis (the North American elk or wapiti). For this reason, the name “giant deer” is used in some publications, instead of “Irish elk”.
– The Irish elk’s enormous antlers, some of which reached a 13-foot spread, were used in ritualized combat between males. Adapted to live on grassy terrain, this elk became extinct some 10,000 years ago, possibly because of the loss of habitat.
Overall, the Irish elk is an interesting example of an extinct deer species that once roamed across Europe, northern Asia, and northern Africa.
Glyptodon
Glyptodon was a genus of large, heavily armored armadillos that lived from the Pleistocene, around 2.5 million years ago, to the Early Holocene, around 11,000 years ago, in South America and southern North America. Here are some interesting facts about Glyptodon:
– Glyptodon was the first named extinct cingulate and is the type genus of Glyptodontinae, and, or, Glyptodontinae.
– The best-known species within the group is Glyptodon, which was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle and weighed up to 2 tons.
– The anatomy of different Glyptodon species varied, but they all had a tortoise-like body armor made of bone segments called osteoderms or scutes.
– Glyptodon was a grazing herbivore that had no incisor or canine teeth, but had a number of cheek teeth that would have been able to grind up tough vegetation, such as grasses.
– Glyptodon was protected against predators like terror birds by its thick armor, and it could wave its club tail to scare off predators.
– Humans sometimes lived in the shells of dead Glyptodon.
– In 2023, four Glyptodon hybrid pups were born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo via a La Plata three-banded armadillo surrogate mother. The researchers intend to build an assurance population, or a captive population with genetic diversity in human care, as they scale up the Glyptodon population. They hope to eventually reintroduce the species into its native forest habitat.
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Overall, Glyptodon is an interesting example of an extinct genus of large, heavily armored armadillos that once roamed South America and southern North America.
Thylacosmilus
Thylacosmilus is an extinct genus of saber-toothed metatherian mammals that inhabited South America from the Late Miocene to Pliocene epochs.
Here are some interesting facts about Thylacosmilus:
– Thylacosmilus was first described in 1904 by the American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs, who named two new species in the genus, T. atrox and T. lentis.
– Thylacosmilus was a carnivorous mammal that was about as large as a modern jaguar, with long, powerfully developed canine teeth that were used for stabbing prey.
– Thylacosmilus was not closely related to the saber-toothed cats of North America, but rather to marsupials such as kangaroos and wombats.
– Thylacosmilus had flanges formed from its lower jaw that functioned somewhat like scabbards, protecting the animal’s canines when its mouth was closed.
– Thylacosmilus is often presented as a classic case of convergent evolution, where animals from different lineages evolve similar traits due to similar ecological pressures.
– Recent studies suggest that Thylacosmilus may have been a scavenger or a specialist organ feeder, unlike anything living today.
Overall, Thylacosmilus is an interesting example of an extinct saber-toothed mammal that once lived in South America during the Late Miocene and Pliocene epochs.
FAQS
1. What is the woolly mammoth?
The woolly mammoth is an extinct species of mammoth that lived during the Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with the African Mammuthus subplanifrons in the early Pliocene.
2. What is the Irish elk?
The Irish elk is an extinct species of deer in the genus Megaloceros and is one of the largest deer that ever lived. It lived from the Pleistocene, around 2.5 million years ago, to the Early Holocene, around 11,000 years ago, in South America and southern North America.
3. What is the dodo bird?
The dodo bird was an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It became extinct less than 80 years after its discovery due to deforestation, hunting, and destruction of their nests by animals brought to the island by the Dutch.
4. What is Thylacosmilus?
Thylacosmilus is an extinct genus of saber-toothed metatherian mammals that inhabited South America from the Late Miocene to Pliocene epochs. It was a carnivorous mammal that was about as large as a modern jaguar, with long, powerfully developed canine teeth that were used for stabbing prey.
5. What is the Chinese paddlefish?
The Chinese paddlefish was an extinct species of fish that was native to the Yangtze and Yellow River basins in China. It was one of the largest species of freshwater fish, with records of specimens over three meters (ten feet) and possibly 7 meters (23 feet) in length.
6. What is the Hispaniola monkey?
The Hispaniola monkey was an extinct primate that was endemic to the island of Hispaniola, in the present-day Dominican Republic. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century, likely related to the settlement of Hispaniola by Europeans after 1492.
7. What is the saber-toothed tiger?
The saber-toothed tiger, also known as Smilodon, is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the family Felidae. It was not closely related to modern tigers or other cats, and it lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch.
8. What is Glyptodon?
Glyptodon was a genus of large, heavily armored armadillos that lived from the Pleistocene, around 2.5 million years ago, to the Early Holocene, around 11,000 years ago, in South America and southern North America. It was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle and weighed up to 2 tons.
9. What is the Tasmanian tiger?
The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, was an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. It was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times, with a body length of up to 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) and a weight of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds).
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Category: Animals
