10 Scary Extinct Animals That Actually Existed

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10 Scary Extinct Animals That Actually Existed
You know, humans are very lucky to have evolved quite late in the evolutionary timeline. If we arrived
maybe just a few million tears earlier, we might have not ended up being the dominant species that we
are today. We would probably be too scared to leave our caves, mainly because of these animals.
Number one is especially frightening so stay tuned for that. Here are 10 scary extinct animals that
actually existed.

Number 10. Pentecopterus
Many people just hate creepy crawlies, especially scorpions. It probably has something to do with their
menacing looks, painful and sometimes even venomous stings, and a couple of pincers that look like
they can sever fingers with no effort at all. Good thing we weren’t around 450 million years ago,
because if today’s scorpions creep you out, imagine what an 8-foot long scorpion will do to your nerves.
Pentecopterus was a species of sea scorpion that was just discovered back in 2015. They are the oldest
scorpion species ever discovered, with their fossils dated to be around 458 to 467 million years old. With
the few fossils that we have, we can deduce that it wasn’t the biggest scorpion ever, but at over 6 feet
long, it’s not really a pixie either.
It was described as fierce and predatory, and was thought to occupy the top of the food chain in the
waters where it called home, and it probably fed on any creature smaller than itself.

Number 9. Hallucigenia
Nope, despite the name, this has nothing to do with hallucination inducing pharmaceuticals. But given
that this next item on our list is a worm with legs, you will be forgiven if you think you are hallucinating.
Hallucigenia is unlike nearly any living animal today, although it was likely the ancestor to modern day
arthropods. There were over 109 specimens of these strange aquatic creatures, and they ranged in size
from 0.5 to 3 cm long. It had a round, worm-like body that was likely squishy to the touch.
Like arthropods and worms, it was an invertebrate, so it didn't have a backbone, however it did have
hard, sharp spikes that stuck out of its back and likely kept potential predators away. It also had clawed,
tentacle-like appendages which functioned more or less like legs that helped it move around the ocean
floor.
It also had a weird head which had a pair of simple eyes, and weirdly, what seemed to be a permanent
grin on its face, like the one you see on the face of someone who’s up to no good.

Number 8. Meganeura
Yep, we’re still keeping it in the terrifying insect category, and when it comes to fright factor, this one
ranks up there with the scariest of them.

First discovered in France in

It is generally considered that the maximum potential size of an insect is dictated by how much oxygen is
available in the atmosphere. Today, 21% of the atmosphere is breathable oxygen, but back in the
carboniferous era, it was around 35%. And because of the abundance of oxygen, insects like Meganeura
were able to grow to epic sizes.
Meganeura is likely to have hunted and fed in much the same way as dragonflies do today,

Number 7. Dunkleostus
Long before enormous sharks like the great white, long before even the giant marine reptiles of the Age
of Dinosaurs, in a world where animal life had only just begun to leave the seas, the biggest, meanest,
scariest predator around was an armored sea monster named Dunkleosteus.
These fish had thick, bony plates covering their skulls, and with a full body length of up to 20 feet, the
armored head gear of the largest Dunkleosteus fossils are positively nightmarish. Dunkleosteus did not
have true teeth; instead, the skull's bony plates extended into sharpened "fangs" in front of the mouth.
These fangs scraped together, continuously sharpening each other as the fish opened and closed its
jaws.
The actual hunting and feeding style of Dunkleosteus is also a popular subject of interest.


Number 6. Deinosuchus
The "deino" in Deinosuchus derives from the same root as the "dino" in dinosaur, meaning "fearsome"
or "terrible." In this case, the description is perfect: Deinosuchus was one of the largest prehistoric
crocodiles that ever lived, attaining lengths of up to 33 feet from head to tail and weights in the
neighborhood of five to 10 tons. And although it’s significantly smaller than its predecessor, the
Sarcosuchus, it was definitely no less frightening. In fact, it can be said that it duked it out with more
ferocious opponents than its predecessor. There is actual fossil evidence that the Deinosuchus regularly
fought, and won, against the T-Rex.

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