The largest living carnivorous piranha species is the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) which maxes out at around 60cm. Also red bellied piranhas only max out at 37 cm. Additionally, if you want to get technical, the largest living piranha species is the mainly herbivorous pacu which can grow to over a meter, which actually makes it similar in length to Megapiranha (M. paranensis), but with a more robust build (if M. paranensis was similar in build to the carnivorous species like the red bellied and black piranhas). You even showed a picture of a fisherman holding a juvenile/subadult pacu in this video.
I thought I saw on some videos that pacu introduced into Timor, New Guinea and Indonesian waterways are now even bigger, and forced to learn how to be omnivore to live in the new world. They were brought there as farm fish back in the 70's and escaped.
@@thanakonpraepanich4284 Pacu are a common fish in pay-lakes in Thailand. The "vegetarian piranha" thing is overplayed. I've caught plenty using meat and fish baits.
Are we sure that the Kumimanu went extinct because I've heard stories about large penguins dwelling in numbers near certain unspeakable 'Mountains of Madness"
Well, there some evidence of a very large tentacled creature that has it's breeding ground off our southeastern coastal area so I wouldn't be surprised to find associated creatures hanging around.
I work in the Pacific Northwest in the bush and I have come into contact with lots of bears several wolves and been stalked by cougars,, but I've also seen lots of otters and I think an otter the size of a wolf bear or cougar could be possibly the most terrifying thing one could imagine
People underestimate otters, but they're mustelids and ever bit as ferocious as its cousins. I hear people say they want to swim with otters and I'm like "uh i wouldn't recommend it" To be fair i still would lol
There are many more animals that are tiny today, but in the past, they were giant: Birds, Pigs, Sharks, Rhinos, Komodo Dragons... etc. By the way, nice job! You can do a part two of this!
It shouldn't really come as a surprise. You could say that pretty much any living group today used to be at some point in the history, when the conditions were right, much bigger. Apart from filter feeding whales perhaps, who are at their peak (so far) today.
Several animals that are small today were giants in the past, like birds, pigs, sharks, rhinoceroses, Komodo dragons, among others. Exploring a second part of this topic would be interesting!
@@bingbongbang8895 Hence why I asked on a comprehensive list on ALL Mustelids. I’m particularly interested in the Simocyon, and the subsequent Red Pandas.
That giant armadillo battling the terror bird reminded me so much of an ornithischian dinosaur fighting a non-avian therapod. Convergent evolution is a wild thing.
Except the giant armadillos are way slower and useless little tail that can only whack careless and dumb predators that come too close to the back side.
You should have mentioned the current largest species of armadillos, the giant armadillo, which can be up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 180 pounds (although it's usually much smaller, but still huge compared to all other species of armadillos).
Stories of them come from special occasions. Where the jungle flood and then when water recedes it can leave a pool filled with piranhas, after they have eaten everything else and are starving you better not fall in that pool.
@@rifasclub an animal is an animal. If a stray dog found its way into a home with a corpse, it'd probably eat it, i dont think that makes the dog any more inherently dangerous than it would be otherwise
When you consider that piranhas live with a metric ton of much bigger opportunistic carnivores, you quickly realize that their swarming behavior is defensive, with the same logic as schooling fish in the ocean.
Doedicurus basically copied Ankylosaurus' adaptations once the latter was gone, showing how nature pushes animals into the same few niches again and again.
A lovely video! I didn't even know about Paenemarmota yet, so I learnt something new! And there are many candidate groups: - giant sloths of course (Megatherium, Eremotherium et al.) - Arctodus simus - Nuralagus rex as the largest lagomorph - Phoberomys pattersoni and Josephoartigasia monesi as giant rodents - entelodonts as giant, carnivorous "pigs" more related to hippos - Paraceratherium as largest rhino-relatives - equus giganteus etc.
Regarding the giant otter omoensis in some parts of Africa, it is said that the water lion is described as a giant otter, something that also happens with the nunda believed to be a dinofelis.
While fishing in the very southernmost portion of Venezuela, we managed to catch a number of Black Piranha, with the largest I caught over 5 lbs in weight and a foot long. We also caught a number of Red Piranha but the largest was at most, about 2.5 lbs and 9 inches long. While the Reds (and Silvers) were caught in back eddies and isolated pools, the Blacks were caught in very fast flowing rivers and we caught them by chance, while fishing for Pyarraha. We used very large (Husky) Rappala lures and a big Black actually snapped one of these in half on me when it struck! It was only the wire that ran the length of the lure's internal body that kept it attached but I suspect that the fish could no doubt have severed it too had it just been bare wire. VERY impressive fish and also delicious! :)
cool story, i have always wanted to go on fishing trip around South America. I have fished in several states here in the US, even done some ocean fishing in Florida, but South Americas fish are so different from what is up here.
@@jameskazd9951 Thanks. We principally went for the Peacock Bass, which I'm sure you're aware of but with keen desire to hook into some Payarrha and Piranha as well. Also, caught some pretty big catfish and a myriad of other species as well. My Buddy and I were there for two weeks and lived with a village of locals. Trip of a lifetime with a thousand stories attached! Cheers.
I think Purussaurus should've been on this list. Caimans today are not known for being large crocodilians and often are kept as exotic pets due to their modest size. Obviously one couldn't keep Purussaurus as a pet...
I really appreciate the work you put into your videos and for me, it makes me want to learn more and do some weekend researching. Keep up the great work & looking forward to more videos!
4:36 With its size and location in the ecosystem, it would be odd for it to be exclusively carnivorous. It’s body plan would probably function better for grazing since it was low to the ground and armored up, meanwhile if it was a hunter, its size would be a waste of energy since it was the largest land organism at that time.
@@samuelnobre150 It depends on the situation. In the Amazon Pacu are mainly feeding off fruits & nuts that fall in the water. In captivity, the ones I've worked with become garbage dumpsters, eating literally anything thrown in their tank. I had one rip up standard airline tubing once LOL. Then there are cases in Africa where they've been introduced as a food fish, only to turn into an apex omnivore.
Well done. I appreciate your narration, it is well-paced, not too fast or slow, has emphasis where needed and not a monotone reading. I feel this gives your videos a more personal feel, your conveyance of educational information directed at a listening audience that is given time to process. Really enjoyed the video, and didn't mean to critique, simply wanted to let you know what you're doing right.
So the 'Otter' in question, given that it wouldn't have been found in mostly in water or didn't hunt there at least, was probably more of a Mink/Polecat, or given it's diet and location in Africa & South Asia: an ancestor of the Honey Badger.
If it's an ancestor to anything, it could only be modern otters. It was still an otter and is more closely related to extant ones than anything else. Maybe you meant its ecological niche being more close to badgers?
I got an idea for a video for ya. These three species have very little media coverage but they could be good topics. The Tyto pollens, Bubo osvaldoi, and Ornimegalonyx. I have a very big love for owls and giant owls are just even more interesting to me. Heck, Ornimegalonyx was mistaken for a terror bird upon discovery. Some people apparently have sighted Tyto pollens before and some say it's the inspiration for the legend of the Chickcharney.
0:52 Pygocentrus nattereri (red belly) is not the largest carnivorous member of the serasalmidea family that goes to Serrasalmus rhombeus (black piranha). The largest member of the family serasalmidea is colosoma macropomum (black pacu) which is omnivores, and can get up to 100lbs and get to 5.5 ft long.
I wish some of these, especially the glyptodonts and giant piranhas (only because they belong to characiformes and i want more characiformes species), were still around today
I had to stop there too and replay it. I wasn't sure if I heard how he said varied right. 😅 I also thought he said something different than genus but it was my ears deceiving me. 😂
hey dude. a little bit more research will help your future videos. There are multiple species of Piranha today larger then the red belly, including the black piranha, the Rio São Francisco piranha, and the vegan pacu piranha. for the record, the largest living piranha is the Rio.
He mentioned the black piranha briefly, regarding bite force and then talked about it's greater size, I actually re watched that bit cause I thought the same as you at first
what an interesting video! i really enjoyed learning about those tiny animals and their giant ancestors. however, i can’t help but wonder if some of these comparisons are a bit of a stretch. like, does a small animal today really reflect the nature of its massive ancestors, or could it just be that evolution took a completely different path? just a thought!
The whole theory of higher concentrations of oxygen being behind the large bugs back in the day is not clear-cut. While there’s definitely some real correlation in the history of O2 levels with the appearance of larger bugs in the fossil record, it’s less straightforward than has been referred to by default. While commonly pointed to as example of invertebrate gigantism during higher atmospheric oxygen levels, the largest fossil we have of arthropleura was from 25 million years *before* the atmospheric O2 spike when O2 levels were comparable to those of today (so if it hadn’t died out, it would be perfectly happy in modern times as long as it had food). Also, even as O2 continued to rise the bug sizes took a nosedive around the same time that birds made the scene. To my knowledge the only experiments done have been with types of insect which are not representative of the oversized fossils, and are far from conclusive - but more to the point, the wingspans of those prehistoric dragonflies was comparable to modern Goliath moths. I think the quantity of larger-sized arthropods back then was more to do with who else was or wasn’t around, notably birds. But… there’s been no conclusive study that suggests the same size of creatures couldn’t exist just as easily today. Another thing to consider is that there are some pretty enormous bugs alive today. There is an amber bee about 2.5 inches long, moths with a wingspan of 1 ft., and there’s a land-based coconut crab that’s 3ft wide and weighs just shy of ten pounds. These are easily on par with the so-called giants of prehistory, imo (arthropleura notwithstanding). Obviously these aren’t the norm today, but their existence is salient. I’m not a scientist, btw - I just began wondering about this question a year ago and began digging into it. FWIW. 🙂 🐞
what a fascinating video! i loved how you explored the fascinating world of animal evolution. but honestly, i can't help but wonder if it's a bit misleading to call them "tiny" when their ancestors were massive. it kind of downplays how incredible those giant creatures really were, don’t you think?
If the thought of a giant otter doesn't scare you it should. Otters are smart, vicious enough to fend off jaguars, and sometimes play with their food, which is the true sign of a badass in nature.
i really enjoyed this video! the visuals and information were super engaging. however, i can't help but think that calling these animals "tiny" might be a bit misleading. i mean, compared to other creatures, sure they seem small, but they’re still significant in their own ecosystems. what do you all think?
I was intrigued by the various candidates mentioned, such as giant sloths, Arctodus simus, Nuralagus rex, Phoberomys pattersoni, Josephoartigasia monesi, entelodonts, and Paraceratherium. Can't wait for more discoveries!
12:06
Danny DeVito being included in the comparison is hilarious 😂
yeah, that really got me too.
it indeed is hahahahahah
I am so glad that my friend Hondari's art is being used in this video. He is such a talented artist and deserves attention for his hard work.
The largest living carnivorous piranha species is the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) which maxes out at around 60cm. Also red bellied piranhas only max out at 37 cm. Additionally, if you want to get technical, the largest living piranha species is the mainly herbivorous pacu which can grow to over a meter, which actually makes it similar in length to Megapiranha (M. paranensis), but with a more robust build (if M. paranensis was similar in build to the carnivorous species like the red bellied and black piranhas). You even showed a picture of a fisherman holding a juvenile/subadult pacu in this video.
The tambaqui and pacu are also basically piranhas with a different diet and dentition, and they grow huge.
I thought I saw on some videos that pacu introduced into Timor, New Guinea and Indonesian waterways are now even bigger, and forced to learn how to be omnivore to live in the new world. They were brought there as farm fish back in the 70's and escaped.
came to comment this lolllllllllllll
damn, im sure they wreak a decent bit of havoc on that native ecosystem ;( @@thanakonpraepanich4284
@@thanakonpraepanich4284 Pacu are a common fish in pay-lakes in Thailand. The "vegetarian piranha" thing is overplayed. I've caught plenty using meat and fish baits.
If *penguinz0* had an animal channel he would sound like this.
This is the greatest squirrel of All Time
If he embodied the zookeeper and not the excited child visiting this anecdotal zoo
@@user-hu3iy9gz5j true 👍
He does sound like Charlie!
He would say dinosaur children should be trans
Any otter or weasel-like animal the size of a lion is pretty scary.
Ikr. We already have Giant River Otter. You're saying they're the nerfed version? that's a big Nope for me
The bite force alone would be more powerful than any other predator on earth. Except maybe sharks.
I hope this will become a series, lovely to see bigger versions of today's animals.
I should see ''Walking with the Beasts".
Are we sure that the Kumimanu went extinct because I've heard stories about large penguins dwelling in numbers near certain unspeakable 'Mountains of Madness"
Yog-Sothoth!
Tekeli-li! Tekeki-li!
Well, there some evidence of a very large tentacled creature that has it's breeding ground off our southeastern coastal area so I wouldn't be surprised to find associated creatures hanging around.
5:25 modern dragonflies are some of the most effective hunters imagine how terrifying these guys were
They would need to eat every half an hour because of their gigantic size.
9:49 Squirrel striking the Heisman pose while trying not to become lunch. 😂
It's a marmot
"DANNY DEVITO'S THE PENGUIN"
OMFG, I'M DEAD!!!
😂🤣☠️😂🤣☠️😂🤣☠️
I for one, is glad that otters and squirrels have shrunk down to their current size.
Definitely glad squirrels are smaller. 😂
I work in the Pacific Northwest in the bush and I have come into contact with lots of bears several wolves and been stalked by cougars,, but I've also seen lots of otters and I think an otter the size of a wolf bear or cougar could be possibly the most terrifying thing one could imagine
People underestimate otters, but they're mustelids and ever bit as ferocious as its cousins.
I hear people say they want to swim with otters and I'm like "uh i wouldn't recommend it"
To be fair i still would lol
There are many more animals that are tiny today, but in the past, they were giant: Birds, Pigs, Sharks, Rhinos, Komodo Dragons... etc.
By the way, nice job! You can do a part two of this!
It shouldn't really come as a surprise. You could say that pretty much any living group today used to be at some point in the history, when the conditions were right, much bigger. Apart from filter feeding whales perhaps, who are at their peak (so far) today.
@@AmarothEng Ok, you are right. Respect your opinion!
And yeah, whales are an exception, but they can't be the only ones.
Rhinos are tiny😂
@@Madi-rl5sy The Present-Day ones yes, but prehistoric no.
@@OrcinusTheAllosaurus they are like the second biggest living land animals
5:27 - does that dragonfly has a meme smile on its face?! 😂
Several animals that are small today were giants in the past, like birds, pigs, sharks, rhinoceroses, Komodo dragons, among others. Exploring a second part of this topic would be interesting!
Rhinos are still pretty large today, with some species reaching up to 3 tons. And sharks do get giants still, like the whale shark and basking shark
And some animals that were small in the past, are large today. In fact...the largest animals that ever lived on this planet, live today.
@@Ispeakthetruthify In the oceans, yes. On land, no.
@@olltraexceptionalcommentor7736 I don't think the whale shark is an actual shark.
@@mikeottersole Huh?
Do you plan on covering ancient Mustelids at some point?
I think the noodle mammals deserve some expansion upon.
The otter is a mustelid. 6:25-9:25
@@bingbongbang8895 Hence why I asked on a comprehensive list on ALL Mustelids.
I’m particularly interested in the Simocyon, and the subsequent Red Pandas.
@@volk4523. . .Red Pandas are mustelids? I did not know that.
They aren’t mustelids
@@jonathanjacob2053They are quite literally a flagship species of the Musteloidea superfamily...
What're you on?
I don't know why, but the idea of giant animals has always fascinated me. Really interesting video!
this man is like the "chills." of Paleontology RUclipsrs
That giant armadillo battling the terror bird reminded me so much of an ornithischian dinosaur fighting a non-avian therapod. Convergent evolution is a wild thing.
Except the giant armadillos are way slower and useless little tail that can only whack careless and dumb predators that come too close to the back side.
That's a powerful thumbnail! Perhaps the best I've ever seen on RUclips.
That was disturbing, albeit in a somewhat funny way.
@@101jirwhat’s wrong
The thumbnail was a good hook
You should have mentioned the current largest species of armadillos, the giant armadillo, which can be up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 180 pounds (although it's usually much smaller, but still huge compared to all other species of armadillos).
i love this video you're really underrated
Piranhas are actually less aggressive than we imagine
Yup, Jeremy Wade got into a pool with them and blood and nothing happened
They'd still prey in big, bloody targets. Make no mistake, they're still dangerous.
Stories of them come from special occasions. Where the jungle flood and then when water recedes it can leave a pool filled with piranhas, after they have eaten everything else and are starving you better not fall in that pool.
@@rifasclub an animal is an animal. If a stray dog found its way into a home with a corpse, it'd probably eat it, i dont think that makes the dog any more inherently dangerous than it would be otherwise
When you consider that piranhas live with a metric ton of much bigger opportunistic carnivores, you quickly realize that their swarming behavior is defensive, with the same logic as schooling fish in the ocean.
2:48 Praise the sun
Doedicurus basically copied Ankylosaurus' adaptations once the latter was gone, showing how nature pushes animals into the same few niches again and again.
Its called convergent evolution, if it works
No, they both copied Scutelosaurus.
A lovely video! I didn't even know about Paenemarmota yet, so I learnt something new!
And there are many candidate groups:
- giant sloths of course (Megatherium, Eremotherium et al.)
- Arctodus simus
- Nuralagus rex as the largest lagomorph
- Phoberomys pattersoni and Josephoartigasia monesi as giant rodents
- entelodonts as giant, carnivorous "pigs" more related to hippos
- Paraceratherium as largest rhino-relatives
- equus giganteus
etc.
Actual supersized suiids lived in Miocene Africa, like Megachoerus.
❤
I was so sure that the giant sloth, megatherium, would make an appearance
What is that thumbnail😭
Edit:READ MY REPLIES BEFORE SAYING ANYTHING PLS
Powerful, that's what it is!
I'm here for the penguin wrestling
You're not refined enough to understand
Are y’all calling me stupid😭
I’ll have u know I’m a lyrical spiritual individual
Wawawawawawawa! Seeing The Penguin amidst the other penguins in the comparison chart was a hoot!
4:03 “giant herbivorous giant”
Regarding the giant otter omoensis in some parts of Africa, it is said that the water lion is described as a giant otter, something that also happens with the nunda believed to be a dinofelis.
While fishing in the very southernmost portion of Venezuela, we managed to catch a number of Black Piranha, with the largest I caught over 5 lbs in weight and a foot long.
We also caught a number of Red Piranha but the largest was at most, about 2.5 lbs and 9 inches long. While the Reds (and Silvers) were caught in back eddies and isolated pools, the Blacks were caught in very fast flowing rivers and we caught them by chance, while fishing for Pyarraha.
We used very large (Husky) Rappala lures and a big Black actually snapped one of these in half on me when it struck! It was only the wire that ran the length of the lure's internal body that kept it attached but I suspect that the fish could no doubt have severed it too had it just been bare wire.
VERY impressive fish and also delicious! :)
cool story, i have always wanted to go on fishing trip around South America. I have fished in several states here in the US, even done some ocean fishing in Florida, but South Americas fish are so different from what is up here.
@@jameskazd9951 Thanks. We principally went for the Peacock Bass, which I'm sure you're aware of but with keen desire to hook into some Payarrha and Piranha as well. Also, caught some pretty big catfish and a myriad of other species as well. My Buddy and I were there for two weeks and lived with a village of locals. Trip of a lifetime with a thousand stories attached! Cheers.
@ 10:54 what is that? Not the collared animal, the thing crouching on the left ??
Its nightmare fuel
At 12:05 that Penguin Scale is incredible 😂
3:57 step on it? I wanna surf it through the Jugle.
millipede ❌
prehistoric bug car ✅
I think Purussaurus should've been on this list. Caimans today are not known for being large crocodilians and often are kept as exotic pets due to their modest size. Obviously one couldn't keep Purussaurus as a pet...
He Covered That Already
@@hildabumagat2688 Doedicurus was already done before but still included in this video
@@posticusmaximus1739 oh right I forgot about that
Black caimans can reach 5m and over 500 kg :)
Tell me something I don't know
4:00 "Giant herbivorous giant" 💀
15:11 that camel got reach hacks
I really appreciate the work you put into your videos and for me, it makes me want to learn more and do some weekend researching. Keep up the great work & looking forward to more videos!
I tell you honestly I would rather square up to a T-Rex than an 8 foot creepy crawly. This video also needs a sequel.
this stuff is so cool id love to see more
4:36 With its size and location in the ecosystem, it would be odd for it to be exclusively carnivorous. It’s body plan would probably function better for grazing since it was low to the ground and armored up, meanwhile if it was a hunter, its size would be a waste of energy since it was the largest land organism at that time.
Good take on the arthlopleura body morphology
That otter was dangerously cute
I just found your channel and I’m loving it!
0:57 That's a Pacu, not a Piranha
I think he used the image just to show size, but u are right
@djspeed85
Well a Pacu is related to the Piranha; they are part of the Serrasalmidae family, so it’s not too far off.
@@hcollins9941 yep, that's true, I dont remember If the pacu is the only herbivore of the family tho
@@hcollins9941 oh I know. Just always throws me off when I see people talking about piranha & a picture of a fish that gets waaaay bigger pops up haha
@@samuelnobre150 It depends on the situation. In the Amazon Pacu are mainly feeding off fruits & nuts that fall in the water. In captivity, the ones I've worked with become garbage dumpsters, eating literally anything thrown in their tank. I had one rip up standard airline tubing once LOL. Then there are cases in Africa where they've been introduced as a food fish, only to turn into an apex omnivore.
"Danny Devito's The Penguin" is vile 😭
Well done. I appreciate your narration, it is well-paced, not too fast or slow, has emphasis where needed and not a monotone reading. I feel this gives your videos a more personal feel, your conveyance of educational information directed at a listening audience that is given time to process. Really enjoyed the video, and didn't mean to critique, simply wanted to let you know what you're doing right.
1:24 pov your in ark survival evolved
Literally bro
So the 'Otter' in question, given that it wouldn't have been found in mostly in water or didn't hunt there at least, was probably more of a Mink/Polecat, or given it's diet and location in Africa & South Asia: an ancestor of the Honey Badger.
It’s more accurate to think of it as a long-legged jaguar-sized honey badger. I’d rather not, though, because I want to sleep again at some point…
@@grahamstrouse1165 I guess the only reason it isn't explained that way is because it is too incomprehensibly nightmarish
If it's an ancestor to anything, it could only be modern otters. It was still an otter and is more closely related to extant ones than anything else. Maybe you meant its ecological niche being more close to badgers?
Underrated channel I’m stoned af this video was lit
12:06 omg lol the DC Penguin included lmao
Cool 😎👍💯
Hooray, it's saturday! PaleoBINGEEEE!
12:07 Danny Devito for scale and weight comparison. !! Dwarvesarus is onto you.
What is the footage at 9:23 from?
What's the other animal in the Kumimanu picture?
Maybe the larger counterparts look awesome and cool
12:05 - More people need to see this chart 😂
12:09 Ok, gotta love that reference!
I got an idea for a video for ya. These three species have very little media coverage but they could be good topics. The Tyto pollens, Bubo osvaldoi, and Ornimegalonyx. I have a very big love for owls and giant owls are just even more interesting to me. Heck, Ornimegalonyx was mistaken for a terror bird upon discovery. Some people apparently have sighted Tyto pollens before and some say it's the inspiration for the legend of the Chickcharney.
Well done... interesting and professional. As always... thumbs up!
0:52 Pygocentrus nattereri (red belly) is not the largest carnivorous member of the serasalmidea family that goes to Serrasalmus rhombeus (black piranha). The largest member of the family serasalmidea is colosoma macropomum (black pacu) which is omnivores, and can get up to 100lbs and get to 5.5 ft long.
A giant herbivorous giant? 4:03
People being afraid of millipedes, even giant ones feels extremely silly, as long as you aren't trying to eat them whole you should be fine.
I wish some of these, especially the glyptodonts and giant piranhas (only because they belong to characiformes and i want more characiformes species), were still around today
Maybe large and terrifying if actually encountered; the baby Glyptadon looks adorable in this video.
6:56 what a great pokemon name 😏
Tree Sloth to megatherium, the GIANT Ground Sloth. Komodo Dragon to Megalania.
The Danny devito scale killed me..😂😂
Love your videos. Wish I wasn't so distracted by the way you pronounce "varied" and "carrion".
I had to stop there too and replay it. I wasn't sure if I heard how he said varied right. 😅 I also thought he said something different than genus but it was my ears deceiving me. 😂
hey dude. a little bit more research will help your future videos. There are multiple species of Piranha today larger then the red belly, including the black piranha, the Rio São Francisco piranha, and the vegan pacu piranha. for the record, the largest living piranha is the Rio.
He mentioned the black piranha briefly, regarding bite force and then talked about it's greater size, I actually re watched that bit cause I thought the same as you at first
How do u find up to date information on extinct species and find paleontological discoveries. Is there an archive or like ATLAS for them?
Ayy yoo whats was that thumbnail
a channel about my fascination with large/amazing animals, with plenty of science sprinkled on top. this channel is a godsend. instant sub.
There are still very big otters. Big enough to kill a human. If I recall they're called giant river otters.
Yes, in the Amazon area and the Pantanal. Giant river otters are capable of kiIIing Caiman.
the babylonians drew pictures of a thing that looked like a giant otter, they called it a serpapard I think
At :59 he is talking about piranhas but shown an image of a pacu. Not the same thing
7:54 DINO FELLAS??
Jealous of whoever managed to run that study on how fast the tail of a glyptodont could swing.
Very interesting and well organized video and now I have a new channel to follow. Thank you.
what an interesting video! i really enjoyed learning about those tiny animals and their giant ancestors. however, i can’t help but wonder if some of these comparisons are a bit of a stretch. like, does a small animal today really reflect the nature of its massive ancestors, or could it just be that evolution took a completely different path? just a thought!
The whole theory of higher concentrations of oxygen being behind the large bugs back in the day is not clear-cut.
While there’s definitely some real correlation in the history of O2 levels with the appearance of larger bugs in the fossil record, it’s less straightforward than has been referred to by default.
While commonly pointed to as example of invertebrate gigantism during higher atmospheric oxygen levels, the largest fossil we have of arthropleura was from 25 million years *before* the atmospheric O2 spike when O2 levels were comparable to those of today (so if it hadn’t died out, it would be perfectly happy in modern times as long as it had food).
Also, even as O2 continued to rise the bug sizes took a nosedive around the same time that birds made the scene.
To my knowledge the only experiments done have been with types of insect which are not representative of the oversized fossils, and are far from conclusive - but more to the point, the wingspans of those prehistoric dragonflies was comparable to modern Goliath moths.
I think the quantity of larger-sized arthropods back then was more to do with who else was or wasn’t around, notably birds. But… there’s been no conclusive study that suggests the same size of creatures couldn’t exist just as easily today.
Another thing to consider is that there are some pretty enormous bugs alive today. There is an amber bee about 2.5 inches long, moths with a wingspan of 1 ft., and there’s a land-based coconut crab that’s 3ft wide and weighs just shy of ten pounds.
These are easily on par with the so-called giants of prehistory, imo (arthropleura notwithstanding).
Obviously these aren’t the norm today, but their existence is salient.
I’m not a scientist, btw - I just began wondering about this question a year ago and began digging into it.
FWIW. 🙂 🐞
My brain is so stoked ❤
what a fascinating video! i loved how you explored the fascinating world of animal evolution. but honestly, i can't help but wonder if it's a bit misleading to call them "tiny" when their ancestors were massive. it kind of downplays how incredible those giant creatures really were, don’t you think?
12:08 Danny Devito's cameo 😂
The giant sloth is definitely something
Bonus points to biggest penguin for being technically the biggest marine dinosaur
My husband was just thinking the other day how terrifying a mink or stoat or otter that was the size of lions would be.
I love that the megapirahna was scaled to a hand
500 lb apex predatory otters roaming the Savannah .
If the thought of a giant otter doesn't scare you it should. Otters are smart, vicious enough to fend off jaguars, and sometimes play with their food, which is the true sign of a badass in nature.
9:18 This animation looks like a gif you would see in a Reddit shitpost.
Squirrel...one in California has become immune to rattlesnake bite! Evolution in progress.... what you think the rattlesnake will do?
Dogs are immune also
12:05 i love this image!
Wish the Megatherium got a mention here. How they evolved into sloths will go down in history as the biggest downgrade
Paleo-nerds: prehistoric animals are scarier because they are bigger and stronger.
Meanwhile mosquitoes: one million human deaths per year.
i really enjoyed this video! the visuals and information were super engaging. however, i can't help but think that calling these animals "tiny" might be a bit misleading. i mean, compared to other creatures, sure they seem small, but they’re still significant in their own ecosystems. what do you all think?
A Giant Herbivorous GIANT is a really funny sentence to me lmfao
Nice to see GPlates in action for this video.
I was intrigued by the various candidates mentioned, such as giant sloths, Arctodus simus, Nuralagus rex, Phoberomys pattersoni, Josephoartigasia monesi, entelodonts, and Paraceratherium. Can't wait for more discoveries!