Prehistoric mammal

An early drawing depicting prehistoric mammals

Prehistoric mammals are groups of mammals that became extinct before humans developed writing. 164 million years ago, in the Jurassic period, Castorocauda lutrasimilis, a mammaliaform (mammal-shaped) animal weighing about 500 grams (1.1 lb), had a full mammalian pelt, with guard hairs and underfur, webbed feet, and scales on the tail like a modern beaver, as well as teeth specialized for catching fish.

Later, about 130 million years ago in the Cretaceous, there existed larger mammals; a fossil of Repenomamus giganticus indicates that the animal was about 1 meter (3 ¹⁄₄ ft) long. In the stomach of a smaller cousin, Repenomamus robustus at 52 cm (20 ¹⁄₂ in), the remains of a juvenile dinosaur have been preserved.

The lineages of many varieties continued through the Cenozoic era where some reached very large sizes. Most of the very large mammals became extinct in the last ice age, but have smaller descendants.

List of prehistoric mammals

Prehistoric mammals include:

Aepycamelus African wolf Amebelodon American cheetah American camel American lion American zebra Anancus Ancient bison Andrewsarchus Archaeobelodon Arsinoitherium Aztlan rabbit Barylambda Barytherium Basilosaurus Beringian cave lion Bone-crushing dog Brontotherium Castorocauda lutrasimilis Camelus moreli Cave bear Cave lion Chalicothere Chalicotherium Coryphodon Deinotherium Diminutive pronghorn Diprotodon Dire wolf Doedicurus Dorudon Dwarf elephant Dwarf thylacine Elasmotherium Embolotherium Entelodont Eobasileus European jaguar European hippopotamus Godinotia Four-tusked elephant Giant orangutan Giant koala Giant swimming sloth Giant long-horned buffalo Giant vampire bat Giant beaver Giant killer whale Giant warthog Giraffe camel Glyptodon Gomphotherium High Arctic camel Hypselephas Hyracotherium Indricotherium/Baluchitherium/Paraceratherium Irish elk Kennalestes Japanese dwarf elephant Harrison's whale Hyaenodon Juxia Macrauchenia

Mammoths Columbian mammoth Woolly mammoth Pygmy mammoth Imperial mammoth African mammoth Marsupial lion Mastodons American mastodon Palaeomastodon Sinomastodon Megafaunal wolf Megaloceros Megalocnus Megatherium Meninatherium Menodus Mesonyx Metamynodon Moeritherium Morganucodon North American camel North American llama Raccoon panda Pakicetus Paratetralophodon Phenacodus Phiomia Planetetherium Plesiadapis Platybelodon Primelephas Propalaeotherium Purgatorius Pygmy giant panda Repenomamus giganticus and r.robustus[1] Rhynchotherium Rinston's bottlenose dolphin Saber-toothed cats Smilodon Samotherium Sivatherium Shark-toothed dolphin Stegodon Stubby-tusked narwhal Synthetoceras Teleoceras Tetrabelodon Tetralophodon Thylacosmilus Toxodon Trilophodon Uintatherium Walrus whale Wilmington's ground sloth Woolly rhinoceros Zygolophodon

See also

• Cynodont
• List of extinct mammals
• Mammaliaformes
• Megamammals
• Pleistocene extinctions
• Pleistocene megafauna
• Synapsid
• Therapsid

References

1. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg18825315.800.html;jsessionid=IPLHBBKJNEMG