discovery
The Great Dying
The Permian-Triassic extinction event, known as "The Great Dying," wiped out about 95% of marine species and 70% of land species.
Welcome to Prehistoric World
Discover the fascinating creatures that once roamed our planet
Featured Creatures
Featured Creatures
Basilosaurus cetoides
Paleogene
Basilosaurus cetoides was one of the largest and most fearsome predators of the ancient seas, living approximately 40-34 million years ago during the Late Eocene epoch. ...
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Allosaurus fragilis
Jurassic
Allosaurus was the king of the Jurassic—the dominant predator of North America long before T. rex existed! Living approximately 155-145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic, this powerful ...
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Vasuki indicus
Paleogene
Vasuki indicus is one of the most exciting paleontological discoveries of recent years—a giant prehistoric snake that may rival or even exceed Titanoboa in length! Discovered ...
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Latest Discoveries
November 12, 2026
Charnia
Proterozoic
Charnia is one of the most important fossils ever discovered! This mysterious frond-shaped organism lived during the Ediacaran period, approximately 575 to 555 million years ago, making it one of Earth's oldest known complex life forms. Charnia was the...
Location: England, Canada, Australia, Russia
Scientific Name: Charnia masoni
November 12, 2026
Tribrachidium
Proterozoic
Tribrachidium is one of the strangest creatures to ever exist! Living during the Ediacaran period about 558-555 million years ago, this bizarre disc-shaped organism had three-fold symmetry — a body plan found in no living animal today. It...
Location: Australia, Russia, Ukraine
Scientific Name: Tribrachidium heraldicum
November 12, 2026
Spriggina
Proterozoic
Spriggina is one of the most intriguing fossils from the Ediacaran period, living approximately 550-560 million years ago. With its distinctive horseshoe-shaped head and segmented body, it has sparked decades of debate about whether it represents...
Location: Australia
Scientific Name: Spriggina floundersi
November 12, 2026
Wiwaxia
Cambrian
Wiwaxia is one of the strangest creatures from the Cambrian Explosion, living approximately 508 million years ago. This bizarre armored slug-like animal was covered in overlapping scales and tall defensive spines, making...
Location: Canada (Burgess Shale), China
Scientific Name: Wiwaxia corrugata
November 12, 2026
Pikaia
Cambrian
Pikaia is one of the most important fossils ever discovered—it may be one of our earliest ancestors! This small, leaf-shaped swimmer lived approximately 508 million years ago during the Middle Cambrian period....
Location: Canada (Burgess Shale)
Scientific Name: Pikaia gracilens
November 12, 2026
Olenoides
Cambrian
Olenoides serratus is one of the most famous and scientifically important trilobites ever discovered! Living approximately 508 million years ago during the Middle Cambrian, this trilobite is celebrated for its exceptional...
Location: Canada (Burgess Shale), USA
Scientific Name: Olenoides serratus
November 12, 2026
Ottoia
Cambrian
Ottoia was a fearsome predatory worm that terrorized the Cambrian seafloor approximately 508 million years ago. As the most abundant worm in the famous Burgess Shale, this priapulid (penis worm) used its...
Location: Canada (Burgess Shale), USA (Utah)
Scientific Name: Ottoia prolifica
February 2, 2026
Dickinsonia
Proterozoic
Dickinsonia is one of the most mysterious and ancient creatures ever found! Living during the Ediacaran period about 558-555 million years ago, it was one of Earth's earliest complex life forms. This bizarre oval-shaped organism lived...
Location: Australia, Russia, Ukraine
Scientific Name: Dickinsonia costata
February 2, 2026
Orthoceras
Ordovician
Orthoceras was an ancient straight-shelled nautiloid—an early relative of today's squids and octopuses! Living from the Ordovician to Triassic periods (around 485-200 million years ago), these jet-propelled hunters had long, cone-shaped shells and were among the...
Location: Worldwide (Morocco, Sweden, North America)
Scientific Name: Orthoceras regulare
February 2, 2026
Birkenia
Silurian
Birkenia was a tiny jawless fish that swam in ancient Silurian seas about 430 million years ago! At only 10 cm (4 inches) long, this small but important fish was an anaspid—one of the early vertebrates that...
Location: Scotland, Norway
Scientific Name: Birkenia elegans
February 2, 2026
Tiktaalik
Devonian
Tiktaalik is one of the most important fossils ever discovered—a 375-million-year-old "fishapod" that shows the transition from fish to land animals! Found in the Canadian Arctic in 2004,...
Location: Arctic Canada (Ellesmere Island)
Scientific Name: Tiktaalik roseae
February 2, 2026
Phorusrhacos
Neogene
Phorusrhacos was one of the most terrifying "terror birds"—giant flightless predatory birds that ruled South America for millions of years! Standing 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall with a massive hooked beak, this apex...
Location: South America (Argentina)
Scientific Name: Phorusrhacos longissimus
February 2, 2026
Smilodon
Quaternary
Smilodon, the famous "saber-toothed cat," was one of the most iconic predators of the Ice Age! Living from about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, this powerful cat had enormous canine teeth that could...
Location: North and South America
Scientific Name: Smilodon fatalis
February 2, 2026
Woolly Rhinoceros
Quaternary
The Woolly Rhinoceros was a massive, shaggy beast that roamed the frozen steppes of Ice Age Europe and Asia! Living from about 350,000 to 10,000 years ago, this incredible animal was perfectly...
Location: Europe, Asia
Scientific Name: Coelodonta antiquitatis
February 2, 2026
Gorgonops
Permian
Gorgonops was one of the most fearsome predators of the Late Permian period, approximately 260-252 million years ago! Named after the Gorgons of Greek mythology (monsters with snakes for hair), this...
Location: South Africa
Scientific Name: Gorgonops torvus
Did You Know?
evolution
The First Flower
The first flowering plants appeared around 130 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, revolutionizing plant evolution.
discovery
Dinosaurs Didn't Roar Like in Movies
Scientists believe dinosaurs made closed-mouth sounds like cooing, booming, or growling—similar to crocodiles and ostriches today—not the dramatic roars from Jurassic Park!
discovery
The "Dueling Dinosaurs" Fossil
A T-Rex and Triceratops were found fossilized together, possibly killed while fighting! The Triceratops has a T-Rex tooth embedded in its body—evidence of a real prehistoric battle.
dinosaur
T-Rex Teens Gained 45 lbs Per Week
During their teenage growth spurt, T-Rex gained 35-45 pounds PER WEEK until reaching adult size around age 20! Growth rings in SUE's bones revealed this incredible growth rate.
discovery
Fossil Poop Reveals Dino Diets
Scientists study fossilized dinosaur poop (coprolites) to learn what they ate! A 2024 study of 500+ coprolites showed early dinosaurs were "opportunistic" eaters—they ate everything.
evolution
Megalodon: 7-Inch Teeth Monster
Megalodon's teeth could reach 7.5 inches (19 cm)—three times larger than great white shark teeth! This 20+ meter shark had the strongest bite of any animal ever: 182,000 Newtons.
dinosaur
Dinosaur Eggs Were Surprisingly Small
Even the largest dinosaurs laid relatively small eggs—about the size of a football. If eggs were bigger, the shells would be too thick for babies to break out!
dinosaur
T-Rex: Strongest Bite Ever on Land
T-Rex could bite with a force of up to 57,000 Newtons—like having a medium-sized elephant sit on you! This is the strongest bite force of any land animal that ever lived.
discovery
Dinosaurs Lived in Polar Regions
Dinosaur fossils have been found in Alaska and Antarctica! These polar dinosaurs survived months of darkness and near-freezing temperatures, possibly having feathers for warmth.
environment
Ordovician-Silurian extinction
The Ordovician-Silurian extinction, around 445 million years ago, was caused by a rapid ice age and fluctuating sea levels, eliminating nearly 85% of marine species.
evolution
Pterosaurs Were Not Dinosaurs
Despite flying alongside dinosaurs for 150 million years, pterosaurs were NOT dinosaurs—they were flying reptiles in a completely separate group. Some had fur-like covering called pycnofibers!
environment
One Day Was Only 22 Hours Long
When dinosaurs roamed Earth, days were shorter! The Moon's gravity is slowly slowing Earth's rotation. 200 million years ago, a year had about 385 days.
discovery
Dinosaurs Got Cancer Too
Scientists diagnosed a 76-million-year-old Centrosaurus with bone cancer (osteosarcoma)—the same cancer that affects humans today! This shows cancer has been around for millions of years.
discovery
Dinosaurs Were Caring Parents
Fossils show dinosaurs brooding their eggs like birds! A 70-million-year-old Oviraptor was found sitting on a nest of 24 eggs, proving dinosaurs were devoted parents who cared for their young.
environment
Oxygen Made Giant Insects Possible
During the Carboniferous period, oxygen levels reached 35% (vs 21% today). This allowed insects to grow huge—millipedes reached 2.5 meters (8 feet) long!
evolution
Tiny Mammals Lived With Dinosaurs
Small mammals existed for over 160 million years alongside dinosaurs! They were mostly nocturnal and mouse-sized, waiting in the shadows until the dinosaurs went extinct.
dinosaur
The Largest Land Animal Ever
Argentinosaurus may have weighed up to 100 tons—as heavy as 14 elephants! Its thigh bone alone was taller than an adult human.
environment
Prehistoric Super-Sized Insects
During the Carboniferous period, insects grew to enormous sizes due to higher oxygen levels. Dragonflies had wingspans up to 65 cm!
environment
The K-Pg extinction
The K-Pg extinction, caused by an asteroid impact 66 million years ago, wiped out 75% of species, including non-avian dinosaurs, due to climate shifts, wildfires, and tsunamis.
discovery
Dinosaurs May Have Been Colorful
By studying fossilized melanosomes (pigment cells), scientists discovered some dinosaurs had bright colors! Sinosauropteryx had a striped tail like a raccoon.
dinosaur
Ankylosaurus: The Living Tank
Ankylosaurus had a tail club that could swing with 7,000-8,000 Newtons of force—enough to shatter bones, even a T-Rex's! The club was made of fused bone and could weigh over 20 kg.
discovery
Dinosaur Footprints Everywhere
Thousands of dinosaur trackways have been found on every continent! Some tracks in Colorado show dinosaurs walking together in herds, and some footprints are over a meter wide.
dinosaur
Not All Dinosaurs Were Giants
While many famous dinosaurs were enormous, the smallest known dinosaur was the Compsognathus, only about the size of a chicken!