Some deadly Pre-Jurassic creatures you’d not want to meet!
If at all you get a time-machine, you’d probably want to know what kind of creatures you might meet if you go back to certain times in the history of the earth. While the creatures of the Jurassic era (including the dinosaurs) are the biggest and most deadliest, you might be out of luck even if you go to an era before that.
The following facts will help you make sense of the time-zones we are talking about.
- 4.5 Billion years ago: The Earth was formed
- 580 Million years ago: Complex Multi-Cellular life evolved in water
- 530 Million years ago: The first pre-historic fish appeared in water
- 480 Million years ago: Oldest fossils of land fungi and plants
- 450 Million years ago: First Anthropods (ancestors of insects) appeared on land
- 380 Million years ago: First Tetrapods (ancestors of amphibians) appeared on land
- 250 – 200 Million years ago: Triassic era (Ancient creatures and ancestors of Dinosaurs lived in this period)
- 200 – 145 Million years ago: Jurassic era (Among other creatures, the Dinosaurs also lived and dominated the planet)
- 6 Million years ago: African Ape (Our ancestor) lived
- 0.2 Million years ago: Human beings attained anatomical modernity (we were able to stand erect!)
As it should be evident from the above time-scales, we humans have made a relatively recent entry on the planet earth. So much for our domination of the planet!
Coming back to the topic, since the Jurassic era was full of large and dangerous creatures (including Dinosaurs) it’s a no-brainer that you ought not visit that era with your time-machine. You might think, why not go to a period before that? You can, but have a look at the kind of creatures you might encounter during your visit. What you are going to see, is a small sample of a few Pre-Jurassic creatures that lived in the earth – land/ocean.
1. Eusthenopteron
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If you land somewhere around 385 Million years ago, you’ll most probably land in the ocean and you might get to meet the Eusthenopteron. Before you can actually pronounce its name, your neck might be securely inside its TEETH. Notice the teeth? These creatures can grow up to 1.8 meters in length. They might decimate you slowly, but surely. Don’t try biting back, the size of your mouth and its mouth just don’t match!
2. Dunkleosteus
Credit: Nobu Tamura. This image has been published under this creative commons license.
If you land somewhere around 380 million years ago, you’d meet the Dunkleosteus. This one is bigger & heavier than the previous creature. It can grow up to 10 meters in size and can weigh around 3.6 Tonnes. You may not even have time to say your prayers because you’ll be digested before that.
3. Ichthyostega
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If you land around 374 Million years ago, you’d meet the Ichthyostega. It can grow up to 1.5 meters in length. If you somehow manage to escape it in the water and reach land, it can very well follow you and take you in your territory. Though not classified as an amphibian, it’s not a fish either. It combines the best of both, actually.
4. Diadectes
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If you land around 299 Million years ago, you’d meet the Diadectes. It can grow up to 3 meters in length and was one of the first large terrestrial animal. Just because its name is short and it’s mouth is small, don’t think that you can outclass it. As you can see in the picture, the size of its stomach is large enough for you. You’re welcome.
5. Proterosuchus
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If you land around 240 Million years ago, you’d meet the Proterosuchus. After you get tired of roaming the land and go to the river to drink water, this creature will spring from inside the water, drag you inside and finish you. Yes, it has its own style of killing. It was one of the largest land reptile in the early Triassic period. Best of luck.
6. Coelophysis modell
Credit:GermanOle. This image is published under this creative commons license.
If you land somewhere around 220 Million years ago, you’d meet the Coelophysis modell. This creature is one of the first ancestors of dinosaurs. They are 3 meters long and taller than you. Don’t even think of running away from it, it can run faster than you. For attacking a larger sized prey (you), they generally hunt in packs. As if one wasn’t enough!
7. Plateosaurus
Credit:Nobu Tamura. This image is published under this creative commons license.
If you land somewhere around 214 Million years ago, you’d meet the Plateosaurus. Looking at the name, don’t think you can cut it, put it in a plate and eat it for supper. If anything, you are its supper. They can grow up to 10 meters in length and are much taller than you. It will catch you with its hands, put you in its buffet and feed you to its kids.
If you want, I can do a post on some deadly Jurassic creatures too… Want to die again? 🙂
Destination Infinity
It makes me wonder what Earth would have been back then! Interesting post.
Have a look at the first reference link (History of the Earth). There are some artist depictions of the kind of land/flora/fauna you might find during this time. You can explore specific periods from there.
Destination Infinity
Earth was always a better place without humans .. and will be once we are gone for sure
Bikram’s
Maybe there is a reason why we were created with the kind of abilities we have? Maybe it’s all a part of a pre-planned saga…
Destination Infinity
informative insightful post
like the pics
i agree with Bikram
Insightful? Yeah, it provides insight about the various ways to get eaten……. 🙂
Destination Infinity
The creatures certainly look scary in the pictures. No,I dont want to go back 😛
Ok. Don’t go to pre-jurassic era. Go to jurassic, instead. If you are lucky, you may get a few seconds to live… 🙂
Destination Infinity
Scary. Thankfully I was not there in my current avatar. If I was a dinosaur then I don’t know. 😛
Most probably, you might have been a dinosaur 😛
Destination Infinity
That’s some amount of research gone into it.
In fact if you hadn’t referred to ‘pre-Jurassic’ I would have thought you are referring to the Muthaliks of India 😛 considering what we get to hear and see these days, you never know! 😐
Oh, I never thought of that. I stay away from the mainstream media generated noise 🙂
Destination Infinity
Sigh!! cant see any pics 🙁
Read this and many more posts sometime back but was lazy to comment 🙂
Very interesting post DI
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