10. The Steller Sea Cow
This giant mammal bears the name of its finder, Georg Steller, the researcher who first saw it in the waters of Commander Islands. With a length going to 8-9 meters and a weight between 8 and 10 tons, the Steller Sea Cow was the giant from the depths. The black and thick skin, the small head and the toothless mouth gives it the image of a scary but friendly giant. The last specimen died in 1768, and in this way, the science has lost one subject of research.
9. The Cave Lion
This Eurasian lion, specially known for its way of living in caves, was one of the biggest predators hunting thousands years ago. The dimensions of this mammal were impressive, having the shoulder height of 1.2 meters and the length around 2 meters. It is believed to have been extinct around 10,000 years ago, once with the Würm glaciations, but it seems to have been seen around 2000 ago, in the Balkans Mountains.
8. The Great Auk
This amazing flightless bird succeeded in carrying its existence till more recent times, 1844 being the year of the last recording of its presence. The features were the same with the today’s penguins, having white and black feathers. The Great Auk was measuring around 75 centimeters high and was weighing up to 5 kilograms. Today, this population has been extinct, and the lands of Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway or Great Britain lack this amazing and interesting creature.
7. Dodo bird
Flightless and very much similar to the mixture between pigeons and doves, this Mauritian specific bird has been considered the archetype of the extinct species. Having a meter tall, its presence wasn’t hard to miss, and people are the main responsible for its extinction. Beginning with the 17th century, the phrase “as dead as a dodo” is synonymous with undoubted death.
6. The Aurochs
250,000 years ago represents the starting point of the existence of this amazing animal on the European continent. And due to its huge importance as a prize, its hunting was allowed only to nobles and the members of the royal court. As the aurochs populations were reducing, the royal court decided to ask for the services of the gamekeepers. In spite of all the measures taken, the last aurochs female died in 1627.
5. The Caspian Tiger
This amazing feline, mostly met in the western part of the Asian continent was the third in the top of the largest tigers. Its physical construction was frightening at a first look. The paws of this giant were wide and big, and the claws unusually large. You can easily compare it with the Bengal tiger in terms of colors. The weight was also impressive, the male weighing around 169-240 kilograms, and the female between 86-135 kilograms. Although extinct from 1970, few voices still claim possible apparitions of this ferocious animal.
4. The Irish Deer
With no less than 2.10 meters high and a distance of 3.6 meters between antlers, the Irish Elk, as the Irish population was naming it, remains the largest deer ever. More than the large and imposing body, the Irish Deer was hunted for its antlers. The last deer seems to have lived about 7,000 years ago, information given by the fossils found. This prehistoric wonder of the nature remembers us daily the things that we miscalculate when it comes to live in great communion with the surroundings.
3. The Tasmanian tiger
Member of the Thylacine order, the Tasmanian tiger was a totally carnivorous and the largest marsupial of those times. The last record of the Tasmanian tiger dates back to 1936, although have been recorded sightings of this creepy animal. Again, guilty of its extinction are people. Because of the massive and continuous hunting, the populations of the Tasmanian tiger reduced until extinction. Other factors could be the diseases, the hunting dogs specially trained for killing these specimens.
2. The Quagga
The wonders of the African continent bring us another rarity. Due to its peculiarities, Quagga, although extinct species, still raises interest from the past of the researchers. Half zebra, half horse, this amazing animal could never be classified after a certain rule. This was due to the fact that you couldn’t see two Quagga alike. Again, the hunt for meat and hides caused the extinction of this beautiful animal.
1. The One and Only T-Rex
On the top of the list of extinct animals is to be found the biggest and the most fearful of all times: the T-Rex. Its dimensions were stunning, 43.3 feet long and 16.6 ft tall. The weight was also unbelievable: up to 7 tons. The natural causes determined the complete extinction of this huge carnivorous 65 million years ago. With more than 30 species, the T-Rex remains the king of the fauna and the absolute master of the times.
Source: openzap
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