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Synapsids and mammals
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Famous sail-backed synapsid from the Permian.
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Dimetrodon
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The largest known gorgonopsid.
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Inostrancevia
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This suborder of therapsids gave rise to mammals.
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Cynodontia
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This smallish therapsid was the dominant land animal in the early Triassic.
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Lystrosaurus
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Order of rodent-like mammals that thrived from Jurassic to Oligocene.
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Multituberculata
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Hoofed Eocene predator; one of the largest carnivorous land mammals ever.
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Andrewsarchus
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Ancient predatory whale initially believed to have been a sea serpent.
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Basilosaurus
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The largest land mammal of all time.
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Paraceratherium
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Monstrous pig-like creatures; have been called "hell pigs".
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Entelodonts
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Miocene sperm whale relative; owner of largest teeth ever.
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Livyatan
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Huge proboscidean with downward-curving tusks on the lower jaw.
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Deinotherium
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The largest ape of all time.
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Gigantopithecus
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The human species that first learned to control fire.
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Homo erectus
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Recently discovered hominin that interbred with us and Neanderthals.
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Denisovan
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Large armored mammal from pleistocene South America.
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Glyptodon
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The largest saber-toothed cat of all time.
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Smilodon
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The largest bear of all time.
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Short-faced bear
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Powerful canid that lived in the Americas until about 10000 years ago.
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Dire wolf
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Huge sirenian hunted to extinction by Europeans.
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Steller's sea cow
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Large carnivorous marsupial that probably died out in the 20th century.
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Thylacine
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Dinosaurs and birds
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The earliest known dinosaur.
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Eoraptor
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Supposed largest dinosaur of all time; known only from a single bone.
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Amphicoelias
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The "Velociraptors" of Jurassic Park were modeled after this dinosaur.
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Deinonychus
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The largest carnivorous dinosaur of all time.
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Spinosaurus
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Penguin-like aquatic toothed bird of the Cretaceous.
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Hesperornis
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This theropod dinosaur had the longest claws of any animal ever.
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Therizinosaurus
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The Torosaurus might simply be a mature form of this well-known dinosaur.
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Triceratops
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Small theropod known for its large brain; binocular vision and nimble fingers.
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Troodon
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Group of carnivorous flightless bird of South America.
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Terror birds
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Group of extremely large seabirds with tooth-like points in their beaks.
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Pseudotooth birds
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Giant raptor relative; possibly the largest flying bird ever.
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Argentavis
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The largest eagle of all time.
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Haast's Eagle
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The tallest bird of all time.
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Moa
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Once the most abundant bird in the world, it died out in 1914.
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Passenger pigeon
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Reptiles
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Mesozoic marine reptiles with dolphin-like shapes.
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Ichthyosaurs
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Mesozoic marine reptiles known for their very long necks.
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Plesiosaurs
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The former's short-necked relatives; powerful apex predators.
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Pliosaurs
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Giant crocodilian from the early Cretaceous; possibly the largest ever.
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Sarcosuchus
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A prime rival in size to the former, this time from the late Cretaceous.
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Deinosuchus
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Dominant late Cretaceous marine reptiles.
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Mosasaurs
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The largest turtle of all time.
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Archelon
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The largest pterosaur of all time.
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Quetzalcouatlus
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The largest snake of all time.
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Titanoboa
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The largest terrestrial lizard of all time.
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Megalania
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This Pinta Island tortoise was for years the "rarest creature in the world".
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Lonesome George
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Fish and amphibians
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Class of armored fish from the Paleozoic.
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Placodermi
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The largest of that group; a powerful apex predator.
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Dunkleosteus
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A famous Devonian fish with many tetrapod features.
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Tiktaalik
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Group of amphibians named after their peculiar tooth structure.
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Labyrinthodontia
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The largest bony fish of all time.
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Leedsichthys
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The largest cartilaginous fish of all time.
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Megalodon
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Invertebrates
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Cambrian creature of unclear morphology; named for its dreamlike looks.
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Hallucigenia
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Predatory arthropod relative; possibly the largest creature of the Cambrian.
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Anomalocaris
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Diverse group of marine arthropods known throughout the Paleozoic.
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Trilobites
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Cephalopods with long, straight shells; abundant in the Paleozoic.
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Orthocerida
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Order of Paleozoic aquatic arthropods; some grew to gigantic sizes.
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Eurypterida
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Shelled cephalopods extremely common in the Mesozoic.
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Ammonites
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The largest land invertebrate of all time.
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Arthropleura
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Carboniferous dragonfly relative with a huge wingspan.
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Meganeura
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This locust formed the largest swarms known; died out in early 20th century.
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Rocky Mountain locust
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