Buzz
Most experts agree that life forms evolved through the principle of natural selection. In essence, unfavorable characteristics are phased out, while advantageous ones take their place. Though this process is gradual, it often results in the emergence of entirely new and occasionally bizarre species over millions of years.
Many of these ancient beings possessed odd traits that would have been terrifying to both us and other creatures. Who wouldn’t be intimidated by a 30-foot-long crocodile? Or a snake with legs? Fortunately, all of them are now extinct.
10. Thylacoleo carnifex – The Mighty Tasmanian Tiger
The marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) was an extinct carnivorous mammal that resembled the Tasmanian devil. However, it was larger, more aggressive, and far more terrifying, with powerful jaws, strong bones, and exceptionally sharp teeth. Researchers have compared it to a ‘Tasmanian devil on steroids.’
Weighing 91 kilograms (200 lbs), the marsupial lion would easily defeat today’s lion in a battle. This ancient predator was a highly efficient hunter capable of bringing down large prey in a matter of seconds, while a lion would take around 15 minutes to do the same. However, the marsupial lion was so adept at killing large animals that it struggled to catch smaller ones.
While the marsupial lion may seem frightening, it had a significant limitation: its inflexible backbone prevented it from chasing after prey. Its forelimbs and collarbone were unusually strong. To compensate for this, the marsupial lion would ambush its prey from trees and other elevated spots.
9. Tetrapodophis – The Four-Limbed Snake
Researchers uncovered a 15-centimeter-long (6 in) fossil of a four-legged snake in the Crato Formation in Brazil. They named it Tetrapodophis (‘four-legged snake’). This discovery is believed to represent a crucial link between snakes and lizards.
However, some scientists disagree, suggesting that Tetrapodophis may not have been a snake at all. Michael Caldwell from the University of Alberta, Canada, points out that the spine and skull of Tetrapodophis don’t match those of snakes. It might have been a lizard or another extinct reptile.
This theory holds weight since not all legless reptiles that evolved from lizards became snakes. A significant number evolved into legless lizards. In fact, researchers propose that only one out of the 26 legless reptiles that diverged from lizards became a snake. The rest are legless lizards or unusual creatures like the Bipes lizard, which has two front legs but no hind legs.
8. Dormaalocyon latouri – The Common Ancestor of Bears, Cats, Lions, Tigers, and Dogs
The small Dormaalocyon latouri was one of the most fascinating creatures to ever live. It is the common ancestor of over 280 carnivorous species, including tigers, lions, dogs, seals, bears, and even small cats. This is remarkable considering Dormaalocyon latouri lived in trees and weighed less than 1 kilogram (2 lb).
Researchers gained deeper insight into this animal when they uncovered a 55-million-year-old fossil in Dormaal, Belgium. They found that Dormaalocyon latouri resembled a creature born from the union of a small cougar and a squirrel. It spent its life in trees, ambushing smaller animals and even insects.
However, Dormaalocyon latouri is not the earliest ancestor of carnivorous mammals. There were other predators, such as Uintacyon, which went extinct a million years before Dormaalocyon latouri. Sadly, we have limited information about Uintacyon.
7. The 20-Clawed Bat That Was Active During the Day
Most bats use echolocation to hunt during the night, but this ability is actually a more recent development. The earliest bats relied on their vision to hunt, and they did so during daylight hours.
This revelation came when researchers uncovered the 52.5-million-year-old fossil of a bat that could not use echolocation. Instead, it hunted in the daytime and relied on its eyes and other senses to catch prey. Unfortunately, scientists couldn't confirm whether this bat had strong enough vision for nighttime hunting, as part of its skull, including the eye socket, was damaged.
Besides the absence of echolocation-related features, the bat was particularly strange because it had a claw on each of its five digits, giving it the nickname ‘20-clawed bat.’ Despite its unusual traits, it measured only 10 centimeters (4 in) in length, the same size as many small echolocating bats today.
Scientists have long pondered why bats prefer to hunt at night. While answers remain unclear, there are theories. One suggestion is that bats became nocturnal to avoid competition with birds for insects or to escape being preyed upon by them. Another possibility is that they adapted to the cooler night temperatures to avoid overheating from the sun.
However, the discovery of this daytime-hunting bat fossil confirms that bats once hunted during the day, relying on their eyesight. Over time, they evolved to hunt at night and developed echolocation in place of their previous reliance on strong vision.
6. Xenothrix mcgregori – The Jamaican Sloth Monkey
The Jamaican sloth monkeys (Xenothrix mcgregori) originated as typical South American monkeys but made their way to Jamaica 10 million years ago. While historians are uncertain about their exact arrival, it is believed that they traveled on rafts formed by fallen trees.
Upon reaching their new environment, the monkeys gradually transformed into sloth-like creatures. They became slower than their South American relatives and spent the majority of their time hanging from trees much like sloths.
Researchers suggest two main reasons for this change. First, the Jamaican plains offered abundant food, so the monkeys spent most of their time eating and lounging. Additionally, the lack of predators meant there was little need for them to be active or run around.
As a result, these monkeys became more sluggish and less active, eventually evolving into creatures that resembled sloths. Their molars grew larger to accommodate their slower lifestyle. Interestingly, they went extinct 900 years ago. The titi monkeys, found in South America, are their closest living relatives.
5. Aethiocarenus burmanicus – The Unicorn Fly
Aethiocarenus burmanicus was the unicorn of the fly kingdom. Much like a unicorn, it had a single horn protruding from its head. But unlike the mythical unicorn and any other horned creature, it sported three eyes on top of its horn. Researchers suggest this extra eye evolved to help the fly detect approaching predators.
The fly was examined in detail after a 97–110 million-year-old fossil was found trapped in amber in Myanmar. It was revealed that the fly fed on nectar and pollen. In addition to its strange horn, it also had peculiar antennae, disproportionately long legs, and unusually tiny mandibles that made it incapable of chewing larger meals.
The unique features of Aethiocarenus burmanicus ultimately led to its extinction. Its horn and extra eyes became a disadvantage as the smaller flowers it relied on for food grew larger. The eyes no longer aided its feeding, contributing to the fly's demise.
4. Linguamyrmex vladi – The Ant With A Metal Horn
Linguamyrmex vladi (commonly known as the 'hell ant') was a fearsome predator in the insect kingdom. Instead of a mouth, it possessed a metal horn, which it used to impale its prey before potentially sucking its blood. This earned it the nicknames 'vampire ant' and 'unicorn ant.'
Researchers remain uncertain about how the horn functioned. It is speculated that the horn operated similarly to the trap-jaw ants' jaws, which snap shut when the hairs inside the mouth are disturbed. Some believe the ant used the horn to suck hemolymph (insect blood). Fortunately for other insects, the hell ant went extinct long ago.
3. The Unusual Ancient Crocodiles of the Sahara
A hundred million years ago, the Sahara was a lush jungle teeming with bizarre creatures, including various extinct species of crocodiles. Researchers have unearthed some of these ancient reptiles, and they are truly strange.
One such creature is the 6-meter-long (20 ft) Kaprosuchus saharicus, also known as 'BoarCroc.' Unlike modern crocodiles, it had legs positioned directly under its body rather than on its sides. The BoarCroc also had a heavily armored mouth filled with dagger-shaped teeth, and its boar-like snout earned it the name 'BoarCroc.'
Other extinct crocodilian species included Araripesuchus rattoides ('RatCroc'), Araripesuchus wegeneri ('DogCroc'), and Anatosuchus minor ('DuckCroc'). Interestingly, RatCroc and DogCroc were herbivores.
DogCroc also featured a snout resembling that of a dog, while DuckCroc had a unique snout with one side longer than the other. Meanwhile, RatCroc was known for its two prominent buckteeth, which it used to dig.
The most peculiar of these species was the 6-meter-long (20 ft) Laganosuchus thaumastos, nicknamed 'PancakeCroc' for its remarkably flat, 1-meter-long (3 ft) head, which resembled a pancake. Researchers believe that this crocodile likely rested with its mouth open, patiently waiting for prey to come within reach.
2. Atopodentatus unicus - The Hammerhead Reptile
The species Atopodentatus unicus was identified following the discovery of its fossil in southern China in 2014. The creature's name, which translates to 'unique strangely toothed' in Latin, refers to its bizarre snout.
This creature was roughly the size of a crocodile, but unlike the crocodile's characteristic V-shaped snout, Atopodentatus unicus had a hammerhead snout resembling that of a hammerhead shark. However, it didn’t use its snout to tear flesh as the shark does. Instead, this reptile employed its snout to uproot plants from the seafloor.
Researchers found that Atopodentatus unicus had two types of teeth. It featured peg-like teeth at the edges of its mouth, which were used for uprooting plants from the seafloor. Deeper in its mouth, it had needlelike teeth that acted as a sieve, capturing plants while letting the water flow freely back into the ocean.
1. Mammuthus creticus - The Tiny Mammoth
Mammuthus creticus was a miniature mammoth that lived on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. Standing at just 1 meter (3.3 ft) tall, it was about the same size as a baby elephant. Initially mistaken for a baby elephant, this tiny mammoth’s first fossil was later reclassified after another fossil provided clearer evidence of its true nature.
The other fossil was of a mammoth measuring just 1.13 meters (3.71 ft) tall and weighing approximately 310 kilograms (683 lb). Initially, researchers mistook it for a baby elephant, but they later realized the tusk was more curved and the body size too large to belong to a young elephant.
Mammuthus creticus was an example of island dwarfism, a phenomenon where animals evolve to become smaller when isolated on islands. This adaptation might be driven by limited resources or the absence of predators. It’s a pattern observed in various species, including elephants, deer, hippopotamuses, and even the extinct human species Homo floresiensis.
