7 of the biggest animals that ever inhabited our planet

When you think of the largest animals that ever inhabited the earth, obviously the first ones that come to mind are the dinosaurs, right? Indeed, they formed the “gang of terror” thousands and thousands of years ago with frightening dimensions, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Although there are several "dinos" in the list you will see below, it was not just them that stood out for their size. Some giant fish, birds, and mammals have also been around this world for a long time.

And yet, even though not listed below, we can't forget to mention the current species that also impress by their size, such as the blue whale and the African elephant.

But now, let's go back a few thousand years and be seven of the largest animals that ever inhabited our planet and ever had a record - after all, you never know what more archaeologists and paleontologists can find out there. Check it out below.

7 - Megalodon

Also known as the Megalodon or Carcharocles megalodon, this creature was a huge shark that could be between 15 and 20 meters, with a weight that could reach 50 tons and a jaw big enough to swallow a rhino.

He lived about 1.5 to 25 million years ago during the Miocene period in the Pacific Ocean. Some scientists believe that megalodons can still hide in our deepest oceans today, although there is no proof of that.

6 - The immense sea scorpion

Are you afraid of scorpions? So better not even read the rest of the description of this scary animal. The existence of the giant sea scorpion was recently discovered. Also known as Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, it is estimated that this creature was about two and a half meters tall. Imagine just bumping into one of these on a dive?

But you can rest assured that, as far as we know, it has not existed for a long time, since it lived about 400 million years ago. Some experts say that this extinct creature was a predecessor of today's terrestrial scorpions.

5 - Short-faced giant bear

The polar bear is currently the largest bear on earth, about 2.5 meters tall. But even at this size, he is still a little shorter than the largest bear ever: the American short-faced (or flat-faced) giant bear.

Also known as Arctodus, this bear could reach 3.5 meters in standing height. Researchers claim that it inhabited South America about 500, 000 to 2 million years ago. Based on observations of a skeleton discovered in 1935 in Argentina, National Geographic reports that "there is no other animal approaching" this powerful carnivore.

4 - Argentavis

Considered the largest bird that flies (yes, because we have birds that do not fly, such as chicken and turkey, for example), Argentavis magnificens lived about 6, 000 years ago in Argentina. Experts believe it flew like a high-performance glider and could reach speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour.

According to studies, its size was comparable to that of a Cessna 152 aircraft. As reported on the NPR website, this giant bird was somewhat like "an eagle with wings extending 6.5 meters from end to end, and the feathers the size of samurai swords. "

This bird is believed to be flying over the winds like a glider. Experts are still unsure of how she did the landings and takeoffs.

3 - Supercrocodile

Imperator sarcosuchus, nicknamed SuperCroc, lived in Africa about 100 million years ago. It is believed that the animal could reach 12 meters in length and weigh more than eight tons. According to experts, they lived by the river, feeding on fish, but they were also able to hunt small dinosaurs with their giant jaws.

2 - Argentinosaurus

Look at another representative from Argentina! The next time you see a six-story building, consider that 100 million years ago you could be looking at an Argentinosaurus of this size. About 36 and a half meters long and weighing 100 tons, this creature holds the title of largest dinosaur that ever walked the planet.

Although much about this species remains a mystery, experts know it was herbivorous, had a long neck and tail, but a relatively small head, according to the study of fossils that were discovered in Argentina in 1988.

1 - Spinosaurus

According to paleontological records, Spinosaurus is the largest carnivore that ever lived on Earth, weighing almost 10 tons and measuring about 18 meters in length. He lived about 93 to 100 million years ago, where today is Africa.

Despite its size, it is believed that it fed more often on fish, although it could easily hunt smaller dinosaurs. He also had the longest known head of any dino, measuring almost 2 meters.

* Originally posted on 11/22/2013.