570 vanished lives

01Cenozoic

They lived not on endless ice, but in a wind-shaped grassland ecosystem.

02Cenozoic

Its enormous canines were only part of the weapon; the real power lay in exceptionally strong forelimbs.

16Cenozoic

Its hand-sized teeth belonged to a giant shark specialized in hunting marine mammals.

20Cenozoic

Standing on its hind legs, this elephant-sized sloth could reach high branches with huge claws.

21Cenozoic

A domed shell of fused armor protected this car-sized relative of armadillos.

22Cenozoic

The largest deer antlers known were seasonal structures for display and competition.

23Cenozoic

A heavy-jawed canid hunted the large herbivores of Ice Age America.

60Cenozoic

The largest known snake moved through hot tropical swamps after the dinosaurs vanished.

61Cenozoic

A tall flightless predator used a deep hooked beak to strike prey on the ground.

62Cenozoic

One of the largest flying birds rode rising air above open South American plains.

63Cenozoic

The largest known land mammal was a hornless rhinoceros relative built to browse high foliage.

64Cenozoic

Knob-like skull horns and long canines crowned this rhinoceros-sized herbivore.

65Cenozoic

This long-bodied early whale still carried tiny external hind limbs.

66Cenozoic

Huge teeth in both jaws armed a macropredatory sperm whale.

67Cenozoic

Ever-growing saber canines evolved independently in this marsupial relative.

68Cenozoic

This long-necked hoofed mammal belonged to a uniquely South American lineage.

69Cenozoic

A heavy-bodied native ungulate grazed and browsed beside Ice Age giants.

70Cenozoic

This enormous grazing rhinoceros probably supported a large horn on its forehead.

71Cenozoic

A thick coat and flattened horn equipped this rhinoceros for cold, dry mammoth steppe.

92Cenozoic

Long clawed forelimbs made this horse relative walk on its knuckles.

93Cenozoic

A huge deep-skulled omnivore belonged to the entelodonts, not to true pigs.

94Cenozoic

A spiked tail club completed the armor of this giant glyptodont.

95Cenozoic

The largest known terrestrial lizard was a giant relative of monitor lizards.

96Cenozoic

A broad face, forward-looking eyes and single-toed feet distinguished this giant kangaroo.