Non mammalian post Mesozoic terrestrial predators

Galvasean

Inspired by talk in other threads;

As we were all told some 60 odd million years ago a big meteor came and killed all the dinosaurs, leaving the mammals to inherit the Earth unchallenged.
Of course we know the previous statement is completely false as there have been many reptilian and avian land based predators which gave the mammals stern competition. What I'm looking to do with this thread is catalog them.

Titanoboa
Pristichampsus
Gastornis
Phorusrhacidae ('terror birds')
Dromornithidae ('thunder birds')
Quinkana
Wonambi
'Megalania'

-but woe is me, I need sleep so I will elaborate tomorrow. Consider this a work in progress. Feel free to lob in suggestions-

Adam Khor

Galvasean wrote: »

Inspired by talk in other threads;

As we were all told some 60 odd million years ago a big meteor came and killed all the dinosaurs, leaving the mammals to inherit the Earth unchallenged.
Of course we know the previous statement is completely false as there have been many reptilian and avian land based predators which gave the mammals stern competition. What I'm looking to do with this thread is catalog them.

Titanoboa
Pristichampsus
Gastornis
Phorusrhacidae ('terror birds')
Dromornithidae ('thinder birds')
Quinkana
Wonambi
'Megalania'

-but woe is me, I need sleep so I will elaborate tomorrow. Consider this a work in progress. Feel free to lob in suggestions-

Good thread :>

May I add:

Harpagornis (giant eagle, top predator in New Zealand until very recently and even remembered via oral tradition by the Maori)

Chubutophis (gigantic snake, probably the largest ever)

Gigantophis (giant madtsoiid, formerly thought to be the largest snake ever- probably semiaquatic, though)

Liasis dubudingala (meaning strangling-ghost, was a giant arboreal python up to 10 meters long, from Australia)

Yurlunggur- Another giant constrictor snake from Australia

Morelia riversleighensis- Formerly known as Montypythonoides, a python related to several living species.

Mekosuchus- A probably arboreal crocodilian from New Caledonia

Crocodylus anthropophagus- Ok, not truly terrestrial (semi-aquatic) but HAD to mention it cuz it has an awesome name XD

Argentavis- Gigantic vulture-like bird, sometimes said to have been an active predator as well as a scavenger. I guess all other teratorns would count as well.

Also there are other bird species which lived in islands and were the top predators there, such as the Simurgh Golden Eagle, the Cuban Giant Owls (which include Ornimegalonyx and gigantic Tyto and Bubo species), Titanohierax and other giant hawks, and the giant marabou storks from southeastern Asia (including the one recently found in Flores).

Also, they recently found another giant monitor lizard, supossedly around the size of Megalania, but I don´t know if it has a name already.

Galvasean

Adam Khor wrote: »

Also, they recently found another giant monitor lizard, supossedly around the size of Megalania, but I don´t know if it has a name already.

Ah yes, we reported that here a while back. No official name yet as far as I know.

Adam Khor

Galvasean wrote: »

Ah yes, we reported that here a while back. No official name yet as far as I know.

Haha true, I even commented on that thread!

Rubecula

Adam Khor wrote: »

Good thread :>

May I add:

Harpagornis (giant eagle, top predator in New Zealand until very recently and even remembered via oral tradition by the Maori)

Chubutophis (gigantic snake, probably the largest ever)

Gigantophis (giant madtsoiid, formerly thought to be the largest snake ever- probably semiaquatic, though)

Liasis dubudingala (meaning strangling-ghost, was a giant arboreal python up to 10 meters long, from Australia)

Yurlunggur- Another giant constrictor snake from Australia

Morelia riversleighensis- Formerly known as Montypythonoides, a python related to several living species.

Mekosuchus- A probably arboreal crocodilian from New Caledonia

Crocodylus anthropophagus- Ok, not truly terrestrial (semi-aquatic) but HAD to mention it cuz it has an awesome name XD

Argentavis- Gigantic vulture-like bird, sometimes said to have been an active predator as well as a scavenger. I guess all other teratorns would count as well.

Also there are other bird species which lived in islands and were the top predators there, such as the Simurgh Golden Eagle, the Cuban Giant Owls (which include Ornimegalonyx and gigantic Tyto and Bubo species), Titanohierax and other giant hawks, and the giant marabou storks from southeastern Asia (including the one recently found in Flores).

Also, they recently found another giant monitor lizard, supossedly around the size of Megalania, but I don´t know if it has a name already.

Good old Harpagornis moorai. One of my favourites. More commonly known as Haast's Eagle. It preyed on Moa and when they were in severe decline the eagle came into contact with humans. Legend has it the thing took people by attacking them as they were crouched getting water and such, snapping the spine with a heavy sort of pouncing directly onto the backs. Some rumours say it may still exist in areas with few people around. I take that with a pinch of salt myself. A giant flying predator would surely be known far and wide. Nevertheless it is still one of my favourite creatures.

Adam Khor

Rubecula wrote: »

Good old Harpagornis moorai. One of my favourites. More commonly known as Haast's Eagle. It preyed on Moa and when they were in severe decline the eagle came into contact with humans. Legend has it the thing took people by attacking them as they were crouched getting water and such, snapping the spine with a heavy sort of pouncing directly onto the backs. Some rumours say it may still exist in areas with few people around. I take that with a pinch of salt myself. A giant flying predator would surely be known far and wide. Nevertheless it is still one of my favourite creatures.

I agree that Harpagornis is probably gone now... but it is very interesting that "huge" birds of prey were seen by early settlers and reported several times. Maybe the very last individuals, already struggling to survive in a world where there was no longer enough food?

Rubecula

There are some stories about a giant bird of prey in North America too. They call it the Thunderbird I think. No idea if it exists for real, or if it has ever existed for that matter. I know there were giant raptors in South America eons ago.

Adam Khor

Rubecula wrote: »

There are some stories about a giant bird of prey in North America too. They call it the Thunderbird I think. No idea if it exists for real, or if it has ever existed for that matter. I know there were giant raptors in South America eons ago.

Yes, those are the teratorns I was talking about- giant vulture-like birds with wingspans up to 5 meters and seemingly, more predatory than their modern day relatives.
Some have even suggested that they had fully or partially feathered heads due to their being more hunters than scavengers- which would give them an eagle-like appearance, rather than vulture like, or perhaps a mix between both.
Teratorns lived in North America, although the largest one, Argentavis, lived in South America, and the last species went extinct about 10.000 years ago- unless of course you believe criptozoologists :>

There was also a certain giant eagle or eagle-like bird in Pleistocene North America called Amplibuteo woodwardi, which was about the size of the Haast Eagle but seemingly hunted larger prey, as well as being a scavenger- hence its going extinct at the end of the Pleistocene along with the giant beasts it fed on.

And there was also the weird Walking Eagle (Buteogallus daggeti), actually a kind of giant hawk, which hunted on the ground like a secretary bird in North American plains. It was like a friggin Serengeti back then. :>