Buzz
While today's world is home to many strange animals, few are aware of just how peculiar some of the creatures from the past truly were. Here's a list of fifteen such beings, spanning from dinosaurs to a variety of reptiles and fish. All of them were never seen by modern humans (except through fossils) and each one is incredibly unusual. The creatures are listed without any particular order.
15. Deinotherium
This elephant-like genus was not just enormous but also had a pair of tusks extending from its chin. These peculiar tusks may have been used for digging up the soil to reach roots and plants. Compared to other members of the Proboscidea family, their trunk was relatively short. Standing at heights between 12-15 feet, they were among the largest mammals to ever walk the Earth.
14. Therizinosauridae
This peculiar family of theropods was known for their long necks and massive claws. Unlike most theropods, however, they were primarily herbivores. Some members of this group may have even had feathers. The genus from which the family gets its name, Therizinosaurus, is primarily known from a handful of fossils, but its claws were massive, potentially reaching up to a meter in length.
13. Epidexipteryx
This bird-like dinosaur offers intriguing insights into the evolutionary development of birds. A member of the Scansoriopterygidae family (“climbing wings”), it lacked flight feathers but had four long tail feathers. These feathers were probably used for displays. Due to its age (living in China approximately 152 to 168 million years ago), it provides evidence that feathers evolved millions of years before the development of flight. It was also one of the tiniest dinosaurs, reaching only 10 inches tall as an adult (excluding its feathers), about the size of a pigeon.
12. Epidendrosaurus
This bird-like dinosaur was closely related to Epidexipteryx. It is recognized as the earliest dinosaur adapted to life in the trees, marking a significant point in the evolution of birds. Even more unusual, it had a remarkably long third finger, twice the length of the others, possibly used for digging out insects.
11. Microraptor
Another bird-like dinosaur, the Microraptor had four wings (along with a feathered tail), though it was incapable of flight. Instead, it likely glided between locations, much like a flying squirrel. This creature is believed to be one of the most recent common ancestors of birds and dinosaurs, with its gliding ability eventually evolving into true flight. Unfortunately, one of its fossils was involved in a forgery scandal, combined with a Yanornis fossil to create a fake fossil named Archeoraptor, falsely hailed as the ultimate missing link between birds and dinosaurs. Though it could have been caught before public attention, it was published in National Geographic before peer review. The exposure of the fraud was an embarrassment for the scientific community. Two species of Microraptor are known.
10. Longisquama
Living during the Triassic period, Longisquama was a small, lizard-like creature that appeared to have a series of long feathers on its back. This led some to suggest that birds may have evolved from lizard-like reptiles rather than theropods. However, not everything is as it seems. Some scientists argue that these features were merely specially modified scales. Others believe the fossils may present an optical illusion, where the feathers are actually fern fronds. Given the abundance of feathered dinosaur fossils, these latter two theories seem more plausible.
9. Tanystropheus
When you think of a long-necked reptile, most people imagine sauropods or even plesiosaurs. However, this Triassic reptile was neither. It grew up to 20 feet in length, with an astonishingly long neck measuring 10 feet! Fossil evidence suggests that it was a fish-eating reptile, as remains of fish scales and cephalopod tentacles have been found in its stomach, and fossils of this creature have primarily been discovered in partially aquatic environments. It is believed that it may have stayed on beaches, using its long neck to catch fish from the water. It’s also thought to have been at least semi-aquatic.
8. Sharovipteryx
Another gliding reptile, this Triassic creature soared similarly to the Microraptor. However, Sharovipteryx had two 'wings' on its hind legs and two smaller 'wings' on its front legs. It likely used these appendages while leaping from one place to another on the ground. Some scientists suggest it may be related to Pterosaurs, but the fact that its wings were on its legs instead of its arms casts doubt on this theory.
7. Nyctosaurus
This genus of pterosaurs is unique in that it is the only one without claws on its wings. Most species of Nyctosaurus appeared fairly average, resembling the well-known Pterodon… until the discovery of a new, unnamed species in 2003. This species featured an enormous, antler-like crest, larger than any known pterosaur crest. Some theorized that a membrane of tissue might have stretched between the antlers, similar to some other pterosaurs, potentially forming a sail that could improve flight. However, research indicates that such a large crest would have hindered flight, meaning it probably just had an unusual set of antlers.
6. Pterodaustro
This pterosaur had a unique set of teeth resembling the baleen found in some whales. It almost certainly used these teeth to filter small aquatic organisms from the water, much like how flamingos feed on brine shrimp. Given that flamingos' pink color comes from their diet, it's possible that Pterodaustro had a similar pinkish hue.
5. Dunkleosteus
One of the most terrifying creatures to ever inhabit the ocean, this fish from the Devonian period could grow up to 33 feet long, possessed an armored head, and probably had one of the most powerful bites in history! Instead of teeth, it had a beak-like mouth to devour its prey. Dunkleosteus was one of the largest members of the Placoderms, an extinct group of armored fish.
4. Stethacanthus
Sharks have survived for over 400 million years, remaining largely unchanged throughout the fossil record. Yet, there have certainly been some peculiar ones along the way. This particular shark had a dorsal fin shaped like an anvil, adorned with small spikes, and an unusual growth on its head. The fin may have served as a tool for courtship or possibly for defense.
3. Amphicoelias fragillimus
This rare fossil was unearthed by the renowned paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, famous for his rivalry with Othniel Charles Marsh during the notorious “Bone Wars.” While Cope discovered numerous prehistoric remains, this one stands out as the strangest. Only a single vertebra fragment remains, measuring 5 feet tall, with estimations suggesting it would have stood 8.8 feet if the full fossil had been found. Comparing that to your vertebrae, it's truly astonishing. Estimates of its full length range from 131 to 196 feet, making it potentially the longest creature to ever exist, rivaling the blue whale in terms of size and weight (along with another elusive sauropod, Bruhathkayosaurus). But despite the size, the fossil mysteriously disappeared, leaving us to wonder: was it a hoax, a misunderstanding, or the largest animal to ever walk the Earth? Sadly, we may never know the truth.
2. Deinocheirus
The only remains of this dinosaur are its massive arms, which resemble those of an ornithomimid but span an incredible 8 feet in length. This raises questions: Did Deinocheirus tower above other ornithomimids (and most theropods, suggesting a size of 40 feet in length) or did it simply have unusually long arms for its body? The purpose of these arms is still debated. Some theorize that they were used to tear apart large dinosaurs, while others suggest the claws were too blunt for such an action and might have been used for defense. Another theory even posits that it used its enormous arms for tree-climbing, though this idea is largely dismissed. With no other body parts discovered, many questions remain unresolved.
1. Helicoprion
At first glance, this strange fossil appeared to be an ammonite due to its spiraling, circular shape, resembling a shell. However, further investigation revealed that it was not a shell at all, but rather a spiraling arrangement of shark teeth, known as a 'tooth whirl.' Unfortunately, without a full body to examine (since cartilage doesn't fossilize as well as bone), researchers were left to speculate about its location. Theories suggested it could be on the shark's dorsal fin, tail, or even its snout. Eventually, a related shark skull, that of Ornithoprion, was discovered, showing a similar tooth whirl on its lower jaw. It was believed that the tooth whirl contained all the teeth the shark would use throughout its life, with older teeth being displaced to make room for new ones. However, the mystery wasn't completely solved. Placing the tooth whirl at the tip of the lower jaw would have slowed the shark down, suggesting that the most accurate positioning was deeper within the shark's mouth.
