Lions, tigers and short-faced bears, oh my! “Extinct” megafauna of North America:

Just 11,000 years ago, the plains of America were dominated by these massive beasts. Here are a few skeletal model photos I took recently.

American Lion

This cat was 25% larger than modern lions, and its fossils have been found from Mexico up to Alaska

Sabre-toothed tiger

Aka Smilodom, used its large canine teeth (up to 11” in length) to prey on large herbivores, such as camels and bison. This apex predator often fell victim to tar pits.

Short-faced bear

Weighing in at over 1,200 kg, these behemoths were one of the largest mammals known to exist. Their claw marks have been recorded on cave walls up to 15 feet high.

Archelon

This giant sea turtle reached 12 feet in length, and had a thin shell to remain neutrally buoyant so it could adapt to where its prey was

Wooly mammoth

Human survival was dependant on mammoths in cold areas. Their large bones were used for everything from hut foundations and fire fuel to musicals instruments and tools. Bone condition indicates they were mostly scavenged, rather than hunted.

Giant beaver

Although they were the size of a black bear, this large rodent had a proportionally smaller brain than our modern day beavers, who likely outcompetes them, leading to their demise.

Where did they all go? It’s believed to be a combination of the changing climate and the arrival of humans, who were able to easily hunt these beasts, who had not yet developed a fear of humans.

This is just a small sample! Dire wolves, ground sloths, mastodons, giant armadillos, camels and many more majestic creatures once roamed the grounds that we now inhabit.