10 Extinct Species That Could Wreak Havoc on Earth Today: Revisited
Throughout Earth's history, five mass extinction events have irrevocably altered the planet's biodiversity, leaving a trail of extinct species in their wake. While humans have become the dominant species, these catastrophic events revealed a host of colossal animals that would have posed a formidable challenge, had they coexisted with early humanity.
Imagine stumbling upon a 40-foot snake in a forest or encountering a great white shark being pursued by a predator so large it dwarfed the shark. Such terrifying creatures might seem like nightmares, but history reveals that nature has a knack for surpassing fiction.
During the Ordovician period, around 443 to 485 million years ago, marine life dominated Earth, with no terrestrial giants that could directly threaten early humans (who were not yet present). However, large predatory marine animals like the Anomalocaris, a giant arthropod, could have posed significant threats in their time.
Fast forward to the Silurian to Devonian transition, around 416 million years ago, when large marine predators like Pterygotus and Jaekelopterus could have been deadly adversaries in aquatic environments, with humans still nowhere to be found.
The End-Permian Mass Extinction, about 252 million years ago, marked the end of the Permian period and the beginning of the Triassic. The immediate survivors of this catastrophe were smaller, more resilient species. However, larger predators like Gorgonops and Dimetrodon emerged later in the Triassic period.
The Triassic-Jurassic Extinction Event, around 201 million years ago, saw the rise of early dinosaurs. Although these prehistoric behemoths did not directly threaten humans (who were not yet present), large predators like Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus were beginning to take over their ecosystems.
The K-Pg Extinction Event, about 65 million years ago, marked the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of the Paleogene. By this time, large predators like Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus had already gone extinct, and the K-Pg event itself was not directly associated with the existence of giant creatures that could have threatened early humans as they were not present at that time.
In the more recent past, during the Late Pleistocene, approximately 50,000 to 10,000 years ago, several giant species coexisted with early humans. These included saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, mammoths, and giant short-faced bears. These massive creatures could have posed threats to early human populations, but they, too, eventually went extinct near the end of the Pleistocene era.
These behemoths from Earth's past are a reminder of the planet's ever-changing ecosystems and the terrifying power of nature's lost creations. If these giants were still roaming the Earth today, they could potentially wreak havoc, altering the delicate balance of life as we know it and forever redefining our understanding of Earth's history.
In a hypothetical scenario where prehistoric behemoths like the Anomalocaris from the Ordovician period or the Jaekelopterus from the Silurian to Devonian transition were alive today, their colossal size and medical-conditions acceptable to their environment could present significant threats to human populations. Moreover, the athletic abilities and strength of these creatures, reminiscent of those exhibited in sports, might make them formidable opponents should they cross paths with humans.
