Beelzebufo ampinga, the so-called "devil frog," may be the largest frog that ever lived. These beach-ball-size amphibians, now extinct, grew to 16 inches (41 centimeters) in length and weighed about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). They inhabited the island of Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous, about 65 to 70 million years ago.
Triceratops Horridus
With its rock-hard horns, shieldlike head plate, and massive torso, Triceratops horridus—"three-horned face"—must have been an intimidating presence in the late Cretaceous period. But this giant was an herbivore, preying only on the vegetation of western North America.
With its rock-hard horns, shieldlike head plate, and massive torso, Triceratops horridus—"three-horned face"—must have been an intimidating presence in the late Cretaceous period. But this giant was an herbivore, preying only on the vegetation of western North America.
Henodus Chelyops
Henodus was a three-foot-long (one-meter-long) marine reptile called a placodont that crushed bottom-dwelling shellfish with two upper teeth at the back of its beaklike snout. The snout was squared off just in front of the eyes, making the head unusually boxy. The ancient placodont looked like a flattened turtle, though its protective shell of bony plates was twice as wide as long and relatively flat.
Henodus was a three-foot-long (one-meter-long) marine reptile called a placodont that crushed bottom-dwelling shellfish with two upper teeth at the back of its beaklike snout. The snout was squared off just in front of the eyes, making the head unusually boxy. The ancient placodont looked like a flattened turtle, though its protective shell of bony plates was twice as wide as long and relatively flat.
Troodon Formosus
Troodon formosus was a small coelurosaurian dinosaur—a member of the same clade (evolutionary group) to which modern birds belong. Fossilized remains have been discovered of nesting parents and egg clutches. These finds shed some light on reproductive strategies that resemble those of both crocodilians and birds.
Tusoteuthis was a giant squid nearly equal in size to those that ply the oceans today—with their tentacles stretched out, the ancient cephalopods may have measured 25 to 35 feet (8 to 11 meters) long. Like the modern giant squid, Tusoteuthis lacked an outer shell and is known only from discoveries of the rigid support structure in its body called a pen or gladius. The pen was akin to a backbone but made of delicate shell-like material called chitin.
Troodon formosus was a small coelurosaurian dinosaur—a member of the same clade (evolutionary group) to which modern birds belong. Fossilized remains have been discovered of nesting parents and egg clutches. These finds shed some light on reproductive strategies that resemble those of both crocodilians and birds.
Tusotheuthis Longa
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