Transcript Strange Prehistoric Life Powerpoint with active weblinks!

Imagine how
many
interesting
things may have
lived on our
planet and have
disappeared
leaving behind
no record or
evidence!
Humans have shared the planet with
millions of other creatures for
thousands of years, we know
surprisingly little about our
neighbors—we don’t even know
exactly how many flora and fauna call
Earth home.
It is estimated that over 99.9% of all species that
ever lived are extinct.
The average life-span of most species is 10
million years.
There are a variety of causes that can contribute
directly or indirectly to the extinction of a
species.
Just as each species is unique, so is each
extinction.
The causes for extinction are varied—some subtle and complex,
others obvious and simple.
Most simply, any species that is unable to survive or reproduce
in its environment, and unable to move to a new environment
where it can do so, dies out and becomes extinct.
Extinction of a species may come suddenly when an otherwise
healthy species is wiped out completely, as when toxic pollution
or a drastic climate change destroys a habitat.
Extinction can also occur gradually over thousands or millions of
years, such as when a species gradually loses out in competition
for food to better adapted competitors.
The National Science Foundation’s
“Tree of Life” project estimates that
there could be anywhere from 5
million to 100 million species on the
planet, but science has only identified
about 2 million.
This estimated 5-10 million living
species equal the remaining 1% of
things that have lived on Earth!
The following slides are
some strange creatures
that actually lived on our
Earth and we have the
fossils to prove it.
Opabinia regalis
Opabinia regalis
A relative of modern arthropods, Hallucigenia is one of the strangest creatures
in the fossil record. Less than 3 millimeters long, it has a bulbous
round head connected to its cylindrical trunk. Though it was previously thought
that it stood on its spines, it was later discovered that the tentacles are actually
feet, making the Hallucigenia the ancestor of today’s velvet worms.
Dunkleosteus
Dunkleosteus
Also called “Dunkle’s Bone,” this was one of the largest armored jaw fishes to
have ever roamed the Earth. Considered one of the fiercest predators in the
ocean it could measure up to 10 meters and weighed 3.6 tons.
Stethacanthus
?????? – answer on next slide
Helicoprion
Helicoprion - also known as “spiral saw,” this shark-like cartilaginous fish first arose in
the oceans of the late Carboniferous era. However, the only surviving evidence of its
existence was a tight curled-up coil of triangular teeth. This bizarre structure was
attached to the bottom part of its jaw, though how it was used still remains a mystery
today. Some speculations are that it was used to grind shells, while others believed
that the coil could be unfurled like a whip to spear unfortunate prey.
Jaekelopterus- this extinct species of sea scorpions had an estimated
length of 2.5 meters, one of the largest arthropods ever discovered. Although
it was dubbed a “sea scorpion,” it supposedly lived in the freshwater rivers
and lakes of present day Germany.
Arthropleura
The giant extinct invertebrate Arthropleura resembled some
modern millipedes, but could grow to be more than one-and-ahalf feet wide, growing to over 6 feet (2 meters) long!
Longisquama
Longisquama - known as the first archosaur to have been
able to glide or parachute, its famous for the elongated pair of scales along its
back, with the anterior ones resembling feathers.
Megalania -sometimes called the giant ripper lizard,
Megalania fed on a diet of mammals, snakes, other reptiles, and
birds. The nearest modern day relative is the Komodo dragon
that inhabits the Flores Islands in Indonesia.
Tanystropheus
(see next picture)
Tanystropheus -the Greek word for “long necked one,” this
prehistoric reptile was easily over 20 feet long, with a narrow
neck that could extend out for up to half its length
Elasmosaur,
Elasmosaur means “thin plate”. This creature could have been around 30 feet
in height and 46 feet in length. Most of its length was in its neck, which was
roughly 25 feet long, or 4 times larger than the neck of a giraffe. When it was
first reconstructed, scientists made the mistake of putting its head on the
wrong end due to its funny shape.
Elasmosaur
Elasmosaur
Liopleurodon
Also known as “smooth-sided tooth,” this marine predator lived on a diet of fish,
squid, and other sea reptiles. Bigger than a large whale, its skull was 16 ft or nearly 1/4
of its body.
Amphicoelias is believed to have been the largest dinosaur ever to live, much
bigger than Argentinosaurus or even a blue whale. It was discovered in the late
1800's and with only four bones ever found. It is believed to be 190 feet (58 m)
long, and weigh 122.4 tons in recent estimates. This size exceed any other
sauropod. It may have been the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
“Lego” to a website to see more dino pics!
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see more cool
dino pictures!
Therizinosauridaes – also called “reaper lizards” may have roamed
Mongolia, China, and the United States and due to their long neck, pot belly,
four-toed feet, and beaky mouth, scientists at first thought they may be not
one but several creatures.
Therizinosauridae
Coelophysis walked in southeast Pennsylvania
(Adams County?) about 215 million years ago!
Click on the Coelephysis below to visit a website that shows
different dinosaurs (fossils / evidence) from different locations
(now modern countries) all over earth.
Dimorphodon = Flying Reptile
Flying Reptile Website – Click Here!
Microraptor
Sharovipteryx
Epidendrosaurus
Epidexipteryx
Pterodaustro #1
Pterodaustro #2
Pterodaustro #3
Archaeopteryx
Greek name for a little bird, also translated as “early wing” or “first
bird,” it supposedly existed during the Jurassic Period. A fossilized
feather was discovered in 1861 in Solnhofen, Germany.
Though Archaopteryx was credited as the “first bird,”
Epidendrosaurus or “lizard of the tree” was the first reptile to be
closer to a bird than a dinosaur. It was about six inches long and used
its long arms and clawed hands to pry on insects from tree bark.
Dimorphodon
Its name means “two-form tooth” which is the result of having two distinct
types of teeth in its jaw. These creatures supposedly had great eyesight and
formidable claws to hunt fish, squid or lizards.
.
Deinocheirus
Deinocheirus
This dinosaur is an enigma for paleontologists as the only known evidence for
its existence are a handful of fossil remains, including two forelimbs and some
bits of vertebrae. The fossilized remains were found on July 9, 1965 in Mongolia
and were given the name Deinocheirus or “terrible hands.”
Deinocheirus
Phorusrhacidae - known as “terror bird,” this was
the largest flightless predatory bird to have ever lived. It fed on
small rodents and mammals and could supposedly run at speeds
of up to 40 mph.
Quetzalcoatlus – was the biggest pterosaur to ever take to the skies, it
supposedly did not have any feathers. Though it had a wing span that
exceeded 30 feet, it took off using both its hind and front legs and flew
without flapping its wings.
“Sid” from Ice age
was a ground sloth
Ice age ground sloth
Giant Ground Sloth
The Chalicothere vanished in the early Pleistocene
Chalicothere were a group of herbivorous, odd-toed
ungulate mammals spread throughout North America, Europe,
America, Asia and Africa during the Early Eocene to Late
Pliocene sub epochs living from 55.8 mya—3.5 million years ago,
they existing for approximately 55.02 million years
Deinotherium
Deinotherium - Also called a “hoe tusker” or “terrible beast,” the remains
of these prehistoric mammals that resemble modern-day elephants were
discovered at major hominid excavation sites at Lake Turkana in Kenya.
Smilodon
or sabre-toothed tiger is one of the most well-known prehistoric
animals along with giants such as the woolly mammoth. Sabre-toothed tigers
roamed the mid-western US and parts of both North and South America and
were named for the enormous canines which skeletons show, protruded quite
far out of their mouth. It became extinct in the Quanternary period during the
ice age. Despite it's name, the sabre-toothed tiger was not actually related to
the modern tigers that are found throughout the jungles of Asia.
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Facts, Facts & More Facts
Click the picture of the Dire Wolf & Smilodon
for more facts about all sorts of prehistoric life!
Josephoartigasia
Related to the modern pacarana and very closely resembling a
capybara, these creatures were the biggest rodents on the
planet weighing up to 1000kg.
Click the Neanderthal Man below to go to a very
cool Interactive Geologic Timeline Website!
You have reached the last slide!
Here are a few more weblinks for
you to check out when you have time!
Ten Scariest Prehistoric Animals
25 Amazing Ancient Beasts
Amazing Fossil Discoveries!