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Description

†Koolasuchus cleelandi: giant amphibians have prowled the planets waterways since the Carboniferous, but in the early-Cretaceous about 120 mya, Koolasuchus was the only one of its kind left. At around 16 feet long and over half a ton this beast was far bigger than any other amphibian of the time or any today, and would have been a formidable ambush predator of Australia's lakes and rivers. In the Cretaceous Australia was positioned within the Antarctic Circle, and although there were forests instead of ice-caps, it still got much colder than in the rest of the world. This kept crocodilians from invading Koolasuchus' habitat, allowing it to survive up until the mid-Cretaceous.

†Onchopristis numidus: this prehistoric sawfish from North Africa was very similar to the highly endangered sawfish of today, but grew much larger at around 25 feet. Its rostrum was longer than a human and lined with barbed teeth for raking through the stream-bed in search of prey. This massive fish likely was a favorite prey of the giant fish-eating theropod Spinosaurus.

†Oryctodromeus cubicularis: this small ornithopod found in Idaho was unusual in that it is one of the few dinosaurs known to have burrowed. Like others of its kind it was still a swift runner that may have quickly retreated to its burrow to flee predators like modern maras.

†Carcharodontosaurus saharicus: at over 40 feet long and between 6 and 15 tons, Carcharodontosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs of all, even bigger than Tyrannosaurus. Its massive skull was filled with long serrated teeth built like a sharks, giving this dinosaur its name. Although thin and unable to crush bone, these teeth were still perfect for making deep slicing wounds, causing prey to die from blood loss and shock.

†Anhanguera blittersdorffi: Anhanguera was a pterosaur from Brazil that had a wingspan of 15 feet. Its long beak had jagged teeth at the tip for snatching fish as well as rounded crests on the top and bottom likely used for attracting mates.

†Argentinosaurus huinculensis: this sauropod from Argentina was part of a very common group called the titanosaurs, the last of the sauropods. This species was one if the largest dinosaurs and largest land animals ever, weighing as much as 90 tons and growing nearly 100 feet long. Giants like this marched across the plains constantly searching for food, all the time avoiding the few giant carnivores that could try to take them down.

†Nothronychus mckinleyi: Nothronychus was part of a very odd family of theropods called therizinosaurs. Although cousins of bird-like carnivores like the raptors and tyrannosaurs, these animals were mostly plant-eaters with leaf-shaped teeth, beaks, long necks and large stomachs. Nothronychus also had powerful arms with long claws that would have been used for protection and for pulling down branches to feed off.

†Pterodaustro guinazui: this South American pterosaur was one of the strangest of all flying reptiles. Its long beak had no teeth but instead had long sheaths coming out of the lower jaw, very similar to the baleen of filter-feeding whales. Pterodaustro most likely used its strange jaw in the same way as a flamingo to filter small crustaceans out of the water.

†Dolichorhyncops osborni: this short-necked plesiosaur was about the same size as a modern dolphin and probably lived like one, hunting fish and squid in the shallow sea that split North America in half during the Cretaceous.

†Kaprosuchus saharicus: often nicknamed the boar-croc due to its several tusk-like teeth, this crocodilian was a formidable predator in mid-Cretaceous Africa. The position of its eyes and legs suggest it spent more time on land than in water, meaning it may have actively preyed on land-dwelling dinosaurs.

†Steropodon galmani: this small mammal from Australia was one of the earliest monotromes; the same order that includes the platypus and echidna, the only modern egg-laying mammals. The structure of the jaw suggests Steropodon had a bill-like mouth similar to the platypus and may have swam after fish and crustaceans.

Description

†Koolasuchus cleelandi: giant amphibians have prowled the planets waterways since the Carboniferous, but in the early-Cretaceous about 120 mya, Koolasuchus was the only one of its kind left. At around 16 feet long and over half a ton this beast was far bigger than any other amphibian of the time or any today, and would have been a formidable ambush predator of Australia's lakes and rivers. In the Cretaceous Australia was positioned within the Antarctic Circle, and although there were forests instead of ice-caps, it still got much colder than in the rest of the world. This kept crocodilians from invading Koolasuchus' habitat, allowing it to survive up until the mid-Cretaceous.

†Onchopristis numidus: this prehistoric sawfish from North Africa was very similar to the highly endangered sawfish of today, but grew much larger at around 25 feet. Its rostrum was longer than a human and lined with barbed teeth for raking through the stream-bed in search of prey. This massive fish likely was a favorite prey of the giant fish-eating theropod Spinosaurus.

†Oryctodromeus cubicularis: this small ornithopod found in Idaho was unusual in that it is one of the few dinosaurs known to have burrowed. Like others of its kind it was still a swift runner that may have quickly retreated to its burrow to flee predators like modern maras.

†Carcharodontosaurus saharicus: at over 40 feet long and between 6 and 15 tons, Carcharodontosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs of all, even bigger than Tyrannosaurus. Its massive skull was filled with long serrated teeth built like a sharks, giving this dinosaur its name. Although thin and unable to crush bone, these teeth were still perfect for making deep slicing wounds, causing prey to die from blood loss and shock.

†Anhanguera blittersdorffi: Anhanguera was a pterosaur from Brazil that had a wingspan of 15 feet. Its long beak had jagged teeth at the tip for snatching fish as well as rounded crests on the top and bottom likely used for attracting mates.

†Argentinosaurus huinculensis: this sauropod from Argentina was part of a very common group called the titanosaurs, the last of the sauropods. This species was one if the largest dinosaurs and largest land animals ever, weighing as much as 90 tons and growing nearly 100 feet long. Giants like this marched across the plains constantly searching for food, all the time avoiding the few giant carnivores that could try to take them down.

†Nothronychus mckinleyi: Nothronychus was part of a very odd family of theropods called therizinosaurs. Although cousins of bird-like carnivores like the raptors and tyrannosaurs, these animals were mostly plant-eaters with leaf-shaped teeth, beaks, long necks and large stomachs. Nothronychus also had powerful arms with long claws that would have been used for protection and for pulling down branches to feed off.

†Pterodaustro guinazui: this South American pterosaur was one of the strangest of all flying reptiles. Its long beak had no teeth but instead had long sheaths coming out of the lower jaw, very similar to the baleen of filter-feeding whales. Pterodaustro most likely used its strange jaw in the same way as a flamingo to filter small crustaceans out of the water.

†Dolichorhyncops osborni: this short-necked plesiosaur was about the same size as a modern dolphin and probably lived like one, hunting fish and squid in the shallow sea that split North America in half during the Cretaceous.

†Kaprosuchus saharicus: often nicknamed the boar-croc due to its several tusk-like teeth, this crocodilian was a formidable predator in mid-Cretaceous Africa. The position of its eyes and legs suggest it spent more time on land than in water, meaning it may have actively preyed on land-dwelling dinosaurs.

†Steropodon galmani: this small mammal from Australia was one of the earliest monotromes; the same order that includes the platypus and echidna, the only modern egg-laying mammals. The structure of the jaw suggests Steropodon had a bill-like mouth similar to the platypus and may have swam after fish and crustaceans.