570 vanished lives

49Mesozoic

A conical thumb spike and batteries of chewing teeth equipped this adaptable herbivore.

50Mesozoic

This sheep-sized horned dinosaur carried a deep beak and broad neck frill.

51Mesozoic

A slender, hollow-boned hunter was among the early successful dinosaurs.

52Mesozoic

This early long-necked herbivore could rear upright but mainly walked on two legs.

53Mesozoic

Paired head crests advertised this agile predator; there is no evidence for venom or a neck frill.

54Mesozoic

Long flight feathers on all four limbs formed a remarkable aerial surface.

55Mesozoic

Membranous wings supported by long fingers and a rod-like styliform element projecting from the wrist differed from the feathered wings of birds.

56Mesozoic

Long wings and a toothless beak carried this pterosaur over an inland sea.

57Mesozoic

An extraordinarily long neck let this marine reptile approach prey with a small head.

58Mesozoic

A streamlined reptile converged on the body plan of dolphins while retaining enormous eyes.

59Mesozoic

A broad skull and four powerful flippers belonged to a leading Jurassic marine predator.

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.

72Recently extinct

This plains zebra had bold stripes in front fading into a plain brown rear body.