User:WolfmanSF/List of prehistoric megafauna

Megafauna are large animals. This list will include all extinct that lived in prehistoric times (at least before the Holocene). The list may never be complete as new fossil animals are discovered every year.

Cambrian

 * Lobopodia
 * Dinocaridida
 * Anomalocaris

Ordovician

 * Mollusca
 * Nautiloidea
 * Cameroceras
 * Arthropoda
 * Trilobita
 * Isotelus

Silurian

 * Arthropoda
 * Chelicerata
 * Brontoscorpio
 * Pterygotus



Devonian

 * Arthropoda
 * Chelicerata
 * Jaekelopterus
 * Placodermi
 * Arthrodira
 * Dunkleosteus
 * Gorgonichthys


 * Osteichthyes
 * Sarcopterygii
 * Hyneria
 * Amphibia
 * Ichthyostegalia
 * Hynerpeton
 * Ichthyostega

Carboniferous

 * Arthropoda
 * Chelicerata
 * Pulmonoscorpius
 * Insecta
 * Meganeura
 * Myriapoda
 * Arthropleura
 * Chondrichthyes
 * Holocephali
 * Sandalodus


 * Amphibia
 * Loxommotoidea
 * Megalocephalus
 * Reptiliomorpha
 * Eogyrinus
 * Proterogyrinus

Permian
With the continent of Pangaea beginning to collide, large expanses of land started to widen. With this kind of space, reptiles began to grow to large sizes.


 * Arthropoda
 * Insecta
 * Meganeuropsis
 * Chondrichthyes
 * Holocephali
 * Petalodus
 * Selachimorpha
 * Helicoprion
 * Amphibia
 * Reptiliomorpha
 * Diadectes
 * Temnospondyli
 * Eryops
 * Prionosuchus
 * Anapsida
 * Pareiasaurus
 * Scutosaurus
 * Synapsida
 * Pelycosauria
 * Cotylorhynchus
 * Dimetrodon
 * Edaphosaurus
 * Ophiacodon
 * Sphenacodon




 * Synapsida (cont'd)
 * Therapsida
 * Anomodontia
 * Tiarajudens
 * Biarmosuchia
 * Eotitanosuchus
 * Ivantosaurus
 * Dinocephalia
 * Anteosaurus
 * Estemmenosuchus
 * Jonkeria
 * Moschops
 * Tapinocephalus
 * Titanosuchus
 * Gorgonopsia
 * Gorgonops
 * Inostrancevia
 * Leogorgon
 * Sauroctonus
 * Therocephalia
 * Euchambersia
 * Megawhaitsia

Triassic

 * Amphibia
 * Temnospondyli
 * Cyclotosaurus
 * Mastodonsaurus
 * Paracyclotosaurus
 * Diapsida
 * Ichthyosauria
 * Cymbospondylus
 * Shastasaurus
 * Shonisaurus
 * Lepidosauromorpha
 * Nothosauria
 * Ceresiosaurus
 * Nothosaurus
 * Placodontia
 * Cyamodus
 * Placodus
 * Archosauromorpha
 * Prolacertiformes
 * Tanystropheus
 * Proterosuchidae
 * Proterosuchus
 * Rhynchosauria
 * Hyperodapedon (aka Scaphonyx)
 * Crurotarsi
 * Aetosauria
 * Desmatosuchus
 * Stagonolepis
 * Ornithosuchidae
 * Ornithosuchus
 * Riojasuchus
 * Phytosauria
 * Belodon
 * Redondasaurus
 * Rutiodon
 * Smilosuchus




 * Diapsida (cont'd)
 * Archosauromorpha (cont'd)
 * Crurotarsi (cont'd)
 * Rauisuchia
 * Fasolasuchus
 * Postosuchus
 * Saurosuchus
 * Smok
 * Teratosaurus
 * Dinosauria
 * Saurischia
 * Prosauropoda
 * Camelotia
 * Plateosaurus (aka Sellosaurus)
 * Riojasaurus
 * Sauropoda
 * Antetonitrus
 * Blikanasaurus
 * Isanosaurus
 * Theropoda
 * Coelophysis
 * Herrerasaurus
 * Staurikosaurus
 * Synapsida
 * Therapsida
 * Cynodontia
 * Cynognathus
 * Exaeretodon
 * Dicynodontia
 * Dinodontosaurus
 * Elephantosaurus
 * Kannemeyeria
 * Lystrosaurus
 * Placerias
 * Sinokannemeyeria
 * Stahleckeria

Jurassic
Since their beginnings in the Triassic Period, dinosaurs started growing to massive sizes. The available amounts of food allowed dinosaurs to do this.


 * Mollusca
 * Belemnoidea
 * Megateuthis
 * Arthropoda
 * Arachnida
 * Nephila jurassica
 * Osteichthyes
 * Actinopterygii
 * Leedsichthys
 * Pachycormus
 * Diapsida
 * Ichthyosauria
 * Ichthyosaurus
 * Ophthalmosaurus
 * Temnodontosaurus
 * Lepidosauromorpha
 * Plesiosauria
 * Cryptoclidus
 * Liopleurodon
 * Muraenosaurus
 * Plesiosaurus
 * "Predator X"
 * Archosauromorpha
 * Crurotarsi
 * Crocodylomorpha
 * Geosaurus
 * Goniopholis
 * Metriorhynchus
 * Neptunidraco
 * Dinosauria
 * Ornithischia
 * Ankylosauria
 * Dracopelta
 * Gargoyleosaurus
 * Scelidosaurus
 * Ornithopoda
 * Camptosaurus
 * Dryosaurus
 * Stegosauria
 * Stegosaurus
 * Dacentrurus (aka Omosaurus)
 * Gigantspinosaurus
 * Jiangjunosaurus
 * Kentrosaurus
 * Miragaia
 * Tuojiangosaurus


 * Diapsida (cont'd)
 * Archosauromorpha (cont'd)
 * Dinosauria (cont'd)
 * Saurischia
 * Sauropoda
 * Amphicoelias
 * Apatosaurus (aka Brontosaurus)
 * Barapasaurus
 * Barosaurus
 * Brachiosaurus
 * Brachytrachelopan
 * Camarasaurus
 * Cetiosaurus
 * Diplodocus (1 species initially named Seismosaurus)
 * Europasaurus
 * Haplocanthosaurus
 * Hudiesaurus
 * Lufengosaurus
 * Mamenchisaurus
 * Massospondylus
 * Ohmdenosaurus
 * Shunosaurus
 * Spinophorosaurus
 * Supersaurus
 * Tazoudasaurus
 * Turiasaurus
 * Vulcanodon
 * Theropoda
 * Allosaurus
 * Ceratosaurus
 * Cruxicheiros
 * Cryolophosaurus
 * Dilophosaurus
 * Elaphrosaurus
 * Gasosaurus
 * Megalosaurus
 * Metriacanthosaurus
 * Monolophosaurus
 * Piatnitzkysaurus
 * Proceratosaurus
 * Torvosaurus
 * Xuanhanosaurus

Cretaceous
Flowering plants started to flourish during this period. Certain dinosaurs evolved a beak in order to eat the new plants. This lead to the ceratopsians, pachycephalosaurs, hadrosaurs, & ankylosaurs. On specific continents, (like South America and Africa), carnivorous dinosaurs grew to large sizes in order to feed upon their sauropod neighbors.


 * Mollusca
 * Bivalvia
 * Platyceramus
 * Ammonoidea
 * Parapuzosia
 * Octopodiformes
 * Tusoteuthis
 * Chondrichthyes
 * Batoidea
 * Ischyrhiza
 * Selachimorpha
 * Cretoxyrhina
 * Ptychodus
 * Squalicorax
 * Osteichthyes
 * Actinopterygii
 * Bonnerichthys
 * Protosphyraena
 * Xiphactinus
 * Amphibia
 * Anura
 * Beelzebufo
 * Temnospondyli
 * Koolasuchus
 * Diapsida
 * Ichthyosauria
 * Platypterygius
 * Lepidosauromorpha
 * Squamata
 * Mosasauridae
 * Globidens
 * Hainosaurus
 * Liodon
 * Mosasaurus
 * Plotosaurus
 * Taniwhasaurus
 * Tylosaurus
 * Plesiosauria
 * Dolichorhynchops
 * Elasmosaurus
 * Futabasaurus
 * Hydrotherosaurus
 * Kronosaurus
 * Plesiopleurodon
 * Styxosaurus
 * Thalassomedon
 * Testudines
 * Archelon
 * Protostega
 * Archosauromorpha
 * Crurotarsi
 * Crocodylomorpha
 * Anatosuchus
 * Armadillosuchus
 * Deinosuchus
 * Kaprosuchus
 * Laganosuchus
 * Sarcosuchus
 * Stomatosuchus
 * Pterosauria
 * Aetodactylus
 * Alanqa
 * Arambourgiania
 * Hatzegopteryx
 * Ludodactylus
 * Ornithocheirus (aka Criorhynchus)
 * Panoplosaurus
 * Pteranodon
 * Quetzalcoatlus
 * Tapejara
 * Dinosauria
 * Ornithischia
 * Ankylosauria
 * Acanthopholis
 * Ankylosaurus
 * Cedarpelta
 * Edmontonia
 * Euoplocephalus
 * Gastonia
 * Pelorosaurus
 * Saichania
 * Sauropelta
 * Shamosaurus
 * Tarchia
 * Tsagantegia
 * Ceratopsia
 * Achelousaurus
 * Agujaceratops
 * Arrhinoceratops
 * Asiaceratops
 * Centrosaurus
 * Cerasinops
 * Chasmosaurus
 * Coahuilaceratops
 * Einiosaurus
 * Eotriceratops
 * Kosmoceratops
 * Leptoceratops
 * Medusaceratops
 * Nedoceratops (aka Diceratus)
 * Pachyrhinosaurus
 * Pentaceratops
 * Protoceratops
 * Rubeosaurus
 * Sinoceratops
 * Styracosaurus
 * Torosaurus
 * Triceratops
 * Utahceratops
 * Zuniceratops


 * Diapsida (cont'd)
 * Archosauromorpha (cont'd)
 * Dinosauria (cont'd)
 * Ornithischia (cont'd)
 * Ornithopoda
 * Altirhinus
 * Anatotitan
 * Charonosaurus
 * Corythosaurus
 * Edmontosaurus
 * Gasparinisaura
 * Gryposaurus
 * Hadrosaurus
 * Huaxiaosaurus
 * Hypacrosaurus
 * Hypsilophodon
 * Iguanodon
 * Jeyawati
 * Kritosaurus
 * Saurolophus
 * Lambeosaurus
 * Maiasaura
 * Muttaburrasaurus
 * Olorotitan
 * Ouranosaurus
 * Parasaurolophus
 * Prosaurolophus
 * Saurolophus
 * Shantungosaurus
 * Thescelosaurus
 * Zhuchengosaurus
 * Pachycephalosauria
 * Dracorex
 * Homalocephale
 * Pachycephalosaurus
 * Prenocephale
 * Stegoceras
 * Stegosauria
 * Wuerhosaurus
 * Saurischia
 * Sauropoda
 * Amargasaurus
 * Amazonsaurus
 * Antarctosaurus
 * Argentinosaurus
 * Argyrosaurus
 * Brontomerus
 * Bruhathkayosaurus
 * Diamantinasaurus
 * Euhelopus
 * Futalognkosaurus
 * Isisaurus
 * Jobaria
 * Magyarosaurus
 * Nigersaurus'
 * Pelorosaurus
 * Puertasaurus
 * Rapetosaurus
 * Rebbachisaurus
 * Saltasaurus
 * Sauroposeidon
 * Titanosaurus
 * Wintonotitan
 * Theropoda
 * Abelisaurus
 * Achillobator
 * Acrocanthosaurus
 * Albertosaurus
 * Australovenator
 * Bahariasaurus
 * Baryonyx
 * Beipiaosaurus
 * Carcharodontosaurus
 * Carnotaurus
 * Chirostenotes
 * Concavenator
 * Daspletosaurus
 * Deinocheirus
 * Deinonychus
 * Dryptosaurus
 * Ekrixinatosaurus
 * Gallimimus
 * Giganotosaurus
 * Gorgosaurus
 * Majungasaurus
 * Mapusaurus
 * Nototyrannus
 * Ornithomimus
 * Oxalaia
 * Masiakasaurus
 * Rajasaurus
 * Saurornithoides
 * Spinosaurus
 * Struthiomimus
 * Suchomimus
 * Tarbosaurus
 * Teratophoneus
 * Therizinosaurus
 * Tyrannosaurus
 * Utahraptor
 * Zhuchengtyrannus
 * Aves
 * Canadaga
 * Gargantuavis
 * Hesperornis
 * Samrukia
 * Synapsida
 * Therapsida
 * Mammalia
 * Marsupialia
 * Didelphodon

Paleocene
With the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, numerous ecological niches were left vacant. This created an opportunity for mammals, and to a lesser extent birds and reptiles, to diversify; many lineages displayed a trend of increasing size, with some eventually reaching megafaunal proportions.


 * Chondrichthyes
 * Selachimorpha
 * Striatolamia
 * Diapsida
 * Lepidosauromorpha
 * Squamata
 * Madtsoia
 * Titanoboa
 * Testudines
 * Puentemys
 * Archosauromorpha
 * Crurotarsi
 * Crocodylomorpha
 * Guarinisuchus


 * Synapsida
 * Therapsida
 * Mammalia
 * Eutheria
 * Ankalagon
 * Barylambda
 * Pachyaena
 * Titanoides

Eocene

 * Diapsida
 * Lepidosauromorpha
 * Squamata
 * Gigantophis
 * Archosauromorpha
 * Dinosauria
 * Saurischia
 * Aves
 * Gastornis
 * Gigantornis
 * Icadyptes
 * Inkayacu
 * Pachydyptes
 * Zhongyuanus
 * Synapsida
 * Therapsida
 * Mammalia
 * Eutheria
 * Ambulocetus
 * Andrewsarchus
 * Arsinoitherium
 * Ateleodon
 * Basilosaurus
 * Brachydiastematherium


 * Synapsida (cont'd)
 * Therapsida (cont'd)
 * Mammalia (cont'd)
 * Eutheria (cont'd)
 * Brontops
 * Brontotherium
 * Didolodus
 * Dorudon
 * Eobasileus
 * Embolotherium
 * Megacerops
 * Menodus
 * Menops
 * Mesonyx
 * Moeritherium
 * Numidotherium
 * Oreinotherium
 * Palaeomastodon
 * Protitanops
 * Quercylurus
 * Rhinotitan
 * Rodhocetus
 * Sarkastodon
 * Titanohyrax
 * Uintatherium
 * Zygorhiza

Oligocene
It was during this epoch that grasses first appeared. Many mammals couldn't eat the grass, which led to several adaptations to do so. In result, deer, horses, rhinoceroses, antelope and many other different species of mammals evolved.


 * Amphicyon
 * Anthracotherium
 * Anthropornis
 * Barawertornis
 * Barytherium
 * Borhyaena
 * Chalicotherium
 * Cynodesmus
 * Daphoenus
 * Desmostylus
 * Diplocynodon
 * Entelodon
 * Eusmilus
 * Gavialosuchus
 * Hoplophoneus


 * Hyaenodon
 * Megalampris
 * Merycoidodon
 * Mesohippus
 * Odobenocetops
 * Paraceratherium
 * Phiomia
 * Prosqualodon
 * Psephophorus
 * Squalodon
 * Waipatia

Miocene

 * Aelurodon
 * Aepycamelus
 * Amebelodon
 * Andrias scheuchzeri
 * Archaeobelodon
 * Argentavis
 * Aulophyseter
 * Barbourofelis
 * Borophagus
 * Bullockornis
 * Brygmophyseter
 * Cetotherium
 * Climacoceras
 * Daeodon
 * Dinocrocuta
 * Dromornis
 * Eobalaenoptera harrisoni
 * Epicyon
 * Eubelodon
 * Eurhinodelphis
 * Euthecodon
 * Gnathabelodon
 * Gomphotherium
 * Gryposuchus
 * Hemimastodon
 * Hoplitomeryx
 * Iranotherium
 * Kelenken
 * Kolponomos
 * Kubanochoerus
 * Lokotunjailurus


 * Livyatan melvillei
 * Machairodus
 * Macrodelphinus
 * Megalictis ferox
 * Megapiranha
 * Megistotherium
 * Merychippus
 * Moropus
 * Mourasuchus
 * Neohelos
 * Ontocetus
 * Osteodontornis
 * Palaeotragus
 * Paleoparadoxia
 * Phorusrhacos
 * Platybelodon
 * Pliohippus
 * Prolibytherium
 * Purussaurus
 * Samotherium
 * Serbelodon
 * Shansitherium
 * Synthetoceras
 * Teleoceras
 * Telicomys
 * Thalassocnus
 * Thalassoleon
 * Thylacinus potens
 * Trilophosuchus

Pliocene

 * Acrophoca
 * Anancus
 * Ancylotherium
 * Bramatherium
 * Carcharocles angustidens
 * Carcharocles megalodon
 * Chapalmalania
 * Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni
 * Deinotherium
 * Dinopithecus
 * Enhydriodon dikikae
 * Hipparion
 * Hippopotamus gorgops
 * Holmesina
 * Liasis dubudingala


 * Libralces
 * Macrauchenia
 * Mammuthus subplanifrons
 * Megalibgwilia
 * Metaxytherium
 * Pachycrocuta
 * Palorchestes
 * Platalearostrum
 * Rhamphosuchus
 * Sinomastodon
 * Sinotherium
 * Tetralophodon
 * Thylacosmilus
 * Titanis
 * Tremarctos floridanus

Pleistocene
Fossil evidence had showed that as humans started to colonize the continents and islands, many of the large mammals, birds, and reptiles began to die out. By 10,000 years, 2/3 of the world's megafauna had became extinct.


 * Aepyornis
 * Ailuropoda microta
 * Ailuropoda minor
 * Archaeoindris
 * Bison antiquus
 * Bison latifrons
 * Bison occidentalis
 * Bison priscus
 * Bos primigenius
 * Canis dirus
 * Castoroides
 * Cervalces
 * Coelodonta
 * Crocodylus anthropophagus
 * Cuvieronius
 * Cyrnaonyx
 * Cygnus falconeri
 * Dinofelis
 * Dinornis
 * Diprotodon
 * Doedicurus
 * Elasmotherium
 * Elephas recki
 * Emeus
 * ''Equus scotti
 * Equus simplicidens
 * Equus yunnanensis
 * Eremotherium
 * Euowenia
 * Gigantopithecus
 * Glyptodon
 * Glyptotherium
 * Hippidion
 * Hydrodamalis gigas
 * Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
 * Homotherium
 * Hulitherium
 * Leiolopisma mauritiana
 * Leptoptilos robustus
 * Mammut americanum
 * Mammuthus columbi
 * Mammuthus imperator
 * Mammuthus meridionalis


 * Mammuthus primigenius
 * Mammuthus trogontherii
 * Megalania
 * Megalenhydris
 * Megaloceros giganteus
 * Megalocnus
 * Megatherium
 * Meiolania
 * Metridiochoerus
 * Mixotoxodon
 * Miracinonyx
 * Mylodon
 * Myotragus
 * Navahoceros fricki
 * Neochoerus pinckneyi
 * Nothrotheriops
 * Odocoileus lucasi
 * Palaeopropithecus
 * Panochthus
 * Panthera gombaszoegensis
 * Panthera leo atrox
 * Panthera leo spelaea
 * Panthera onca augusta
 * Panthera palaeosinensis
 * Panthera tigris acutidens
 * Panthera tigris soloensis
 * Panthera tigris trinilensis
 * Procoptodon
 * Raphus cucullatus
 * Simosthenurus
 * Sivatherium
 * Smilodon
 * Stegodon
 * Stegomastodon
 * Sthenurus
 * Thylacinus cynocephalus
 * Thylacoleo
 * Toxodon
 * Tremarctos floridanus
 * Ursus spelaeus
 * Voay
 * Xenocyon lycaonoides
 * Xenosmilus