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Thankfully,evolution has most recently tended to reward creatures for strong thinking abilities,as it's allowed us to rise to the top of the food chain. If we'd been alive in earlier eras,however,we may not have been so lucky. Different times called for different attributes,and there was a time when size and ferocity were a species' most important quality. Here's an exploration of 14 of the largest,strongest,and in some cases,strangest,creatures that have called our planet home:
我們得感謝‘進(jìn)化論'它最終將勝利的天平偏向了智慧思考型的動物，才使得體態(tài)弱小的人類最終站在食物鏈的頂端。如果我們生活在‘舊時代'，可能就沒有那么幸運了。不是成為恐龍的桌上菜，就是……還是成為恐龍的桌上菜。不過除了恐龍之外，不同時期還有其他超級怪獸，為了順應(yīng)那些殘酷時代的特性，它們個個都練就了一身好武藝，時刻準(zhǔn)備著與奧特曼搏斗。

01.Moa（恐鳥）

(Images via sumner, copyrighted, tenth medieval, wapedia)
The Moa were flightless birds that resided in New Zealand as recently as 1500 AD. Hunted to extinction by Maori tribesmen,this bird's dominant physical presence wasn't enough to fight off sharpened spears. At 12 feet in height and over 500 pounds in mass ,the Moa make the modern Ostrich seem diminutive.
不會飛行的恐鳥生活在公元1500年左右。他高度可達(dá)3米，重250公斤，食草性動物?？著B被認(rèn)為不太可能存活到今日，因為牠們是該區(qū)域體型相當(dāng)大的鳥類，而且該區(qū)也常被獵人或登山客拜訪。雞大小的鳥類或許可以成功避開人類，不過像恐鳥那麼大的鳥類很難做到這點?，F(xiàn)在仍然沒有可信的恐鳥足跡的報告。

02.Pliosaur

(Images via sedgwick museum, moblog , ny times, plesiosaur)
Pliosaurs haunted the world's oceans,attacking with intense power and speed. With short necks and huge jaws,they were killing machines. The largest Pliosaur skeleton was an incredible 52 feet long,with its head making up almost 8 feet of its total length.
世界上最兇猛的生物，還不是什么XXX陸地恐龍，而是這個名為Pliosaur的巨大海洋生物。他生活在侏羅紀(jì)和白堊紀(jì)時代，以捕食魚龍和蛇頸龍為生。身長接近16米，重12噸。被研究人員戲稱為海底食品倉庫。蛇頸龍在它面前就像小貓一樣。
從外貌看上去Pliosaur 其實并沒有我們想象中的那樣古怪，沒有犄角，沒有觸須~不像科幻電影中的任何海怪。實際上Pliosaur長得就想是一條巨大巨大超級大鱷魚。游泳跟鱷魚一樣強壯的顎和矩形牙齒，任何動物在它面前都只能是早餐了。

03.Gigantopithecus（巨猿）

(Images via sasquatchers, free republic, unexplained mysteries, crypto mundo, API)
A possible inspiration for King Kong,Gigantopithecus' appearance resembled modern day apes,only it was much,much larger. The heftiest ape in history,they could top out at nearly 10 feet and weigh over 1,000 pounds. Gigantophithecus was a distant relative of the modern Orangutan,so most artistic depictions take this into account.
巨猿可能就是金剛的原型。步氏巨猿估計站立高3米及重545公斤，比現(xiàn)存大猩猩及近親的猩猩分別重2-3倍及5倍——近乎3米的高度和1000磅的體重！不過據(jù)稱它們是高度的兩性異形，成年雌性的重量差不多只有雄性的一半。
巨猿可能是四足行走及草食性的，主要吃竹及一些季節(jié)性的生果。但是最近有指它們是雜食性的。雖然仍未知巨猿滅絕的原因，但學(xué)者一般相信是因氣候轉(zhuǎn)變及未能成功爭奪資源所致。

04.Whorl-Shark（鋸齒鯊）

(Images via national geographic, WSU, scifi meshes)
Whorl Sharks were similar to their modern cousins despite jetting along almost 300 million years ago. While modern sharks have rows of serrated teeth ready to replace any that fall out,the whorl shark has an interesting lower jaw that looked like a circular saw,where newer teeth would push older teeth further along the line. There's some debate about the placement of the tooth structure,but regardless of its location in the mouth or deeper in the throat,it had a startlingly unique appearance.
鋸齒鯊（暫譯）和近代的鯊魚長相類似，只不過他們生活在3億年前的二疊紀(jì)，到后來發(fā)生了二疊紀(jì)-三疊紀(jì)滅絕事件，90%至95%的海洋生物滅絕，其詳細(xì)原因目前尚不明確，但有可能肇因于一次劇烈的小行星撞擊。鋸齒鯊它最大的特點就是一個帶有“圓形電鋸”。根據(jù)古生物學(xué)家推測這種鯊魚的牙齒會不斷的長出，同時新的牙齒會把之前的牙齒推到前端。
其實我不太相信這種動物曾經(jīng)真的存在于這個世界上。因為似乎咬合度真的很成問題呀，除非那個前輪真的能轉(zhuǎn)一起來。不然，豈不是會割傷自己?。?/font>

05.Diatryma

(Images via fmnh, fogato)
Gastornis,formerly known as Diatryma,is another horrifically large flightless bird. The most terrifying aspect of this animal is the fact that its beak implies it was carnivorous.
冠恐鳥又名加斯頓鳥或戈氏鳥，是一屬已滅絕及不懂飛行的大型鳥類，生存于古新世晚期至始新世。冠恐鳥下的G. parisiensis平均身長有1.75米，而G. edwardsi則有2米高。冠恐鳥的喙特別大及呈鉤狀，腿大而強壯，腳掌大且有爪，估計它是肉食性的。冠恐鳥生存的環(huán)境有大量的密林，氣候潮濕至半乾旱。北美洲及歐洲當(dāng)時很接近，尤其格陵蘭是被林地及草原覆蓋，這兩個洲之間只有約幾百公里闊的海峽阻隔冠恐鳥的祖先。當(dāng)西部內(nèi)陸海道退卻后，北美洲就成為一個連接的大陸，歐洲因為阿爾卑斯造山幕及古新世-始新世極熱事件的高海平面而成為群島，地理上有點像今天的印尼。

06.Dunkleosteus（鄧氏魚）

(Images via uta, atw, deep sea news, dinosaur pictures, hmnh, dinocasts)
Unlike sharks,that have survived for over 400 million years,Dunkleosteus had a short run of 50 million years. They would get up to 30 feet in length and weigh over 4 tons. They were the last of their kind,as we've been unable to find any closely related descendants.
鄧氏魚(Dunkleosteus terrelli)，一種活于泥盆紀(jì)時代(距今約3.6億至4.15億年前)的古生物，長約8至10米，重量可達(dá)4噸，鄧氏魚的咬力非常強大，因此被認(rèn)為是咬力最大的動物，并成為時代最大的海洋獵食者，其主要食糧是有硬殼保護(hù)的魚類及無脊椎動物。鄧氏魚一口咬穿硬殼保護(hù)的魚類或無脊椎動物，進(jìn)食完后它會將不能消化的硬殼吐出。

07.Titanoboa（泰坦巨蟒）

(Images via aljazeera)
Little needs to be said about Titanoboa beyond this: 50 feet long and over 2,500 pounds. Like a titanic exaggeration of the modern boa,be thankful this snake went extinct nearly 58 million years ago.
泰坦巨蟒是一個生活在古新世（約 6000 至 5800 萬年前）的蛇屬。已知的唯一種塞雷洪泰坦巨蟒（T. cerrejonensis）也是已知最大的蛇。把它石化的脊椎骨與現(xiàn)代蛇比較，研究人員估計其全長15米以上，體重超過 1100 公斤，身體最粗處圍距達(dá)1米。它可能是以鱷魚為食的。由于蛇是冷血動物，這項發(fā)現(xiàn)也暗示了，當(dāng)時的其生活的熱帶地區(qū)比研究人員原先估計的更溫暖，平均氣溫為 32℃°（90°F）。只有這樣的氣候才能讓蛇長得這麼大。而目前當(dāng)?shù)氐哪昶骄鶜鉁貫?28℃。
相關(guān)閱讀：世界上最大的蛇竟然以遠(yuǎn)親鱷魚為食！>>

08.Arthropleura（史前蜈蚣）

(Images via yale, avph, charlie’s playhouse)
Arthropleura armata was the worst nightmare of any homeowner: an 8 and a half foot long bug. Similar in appearance to the modern centipede,it was one of the first invertebrates on land,and as such,most likely had little to no predators. Thankfully,they lived well over 300 million years ago,and won't show up in your hallway any time soon.
史前蜈蚣（暫譯）是史前的多足綱動物，即現(xiàn)今蜈蚣及千足蟲的遠(yuǎn)古親屬。它們長0.3-2.6米，絕對是你的噩夢。它生存于3億4000萬至2億8000萬年前的石炭紀(jì)晚期，分布在北美洲及蘇格蘭。它們已知陸地上最大型的無脊椎動物，相信只有少數(shù)的天敵。

09.Ceratogaulus（古田鼠）

Even the smallest creatures deserve mention,and the horned gopher (Ceratogaulus Rhinoceros) is no exception. As the smallest mammal to ever have horns,they should have at least a little recognition. It was originally thought the horns were meant for digging,but the consensus now seems to be that they were used for defense.
這應(yīng)該是田鼠的祖宗，頭部的角可能是挖掘工具，也可能是一種防御武器。體型較小。

10.Jaekelopterus（史前巨蝎）

(Images via sitioco, cope podo, cool fun blog, mediterraneo diving, naturalist)
Jaekelopterus Rhenaniae is similar to Arthropleuria,only it lived in the ocean. At over 8 feet in length,this "sea scropion" (only in appearance) makes the largest lobsters seem like toys. It crawled along the ocean floors nearly 390 million years ago.
史前巨蝎（暫譯）體長2.5米，生活在距今3.9億年前的。是一種水陸兩棲的動物，引人注目的大鉗子是他的主要作戰(zhàn)工具。

11.Mamenchisaurus（馬門溪龍）

(Images via encyclo123, wikipedia, exhibitsrex, zimbio)
Mamenchisaurus looks much like another famous dinosuar, Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus), and is similar except for one odd difference: neck length. Their necks were up to 46 feet in length and made up 50% of their full body length. They lived nearly 150 million years ago and were entirely herbivorous.
馬門溪龍為蜥臀目蜥腳下目恐龍的一屬，屬于馬門溪龍科。牠們生活在侏羅紀(jì)晚期提通階，約1億5000萬年前到1億4000萬年前，廣泛分布在東亞地區(qū)。馬門溪龍的體長可達(dá)22到26公尺，而脖子占一半長度，馬門溪龍是曾經(jīng)生活在地球上的脖子最長的動物。

12.Procoptodon（巨型短面袋鼠）

(Images via times online, nature)
What’s more fun than a kangaroo? A 10 foot tall, 500 pound kangaroo. Procoptodon Goliah was a marsupial just like its modern cousins, and had similar features, but with a shorter face and slightly different feet. They were alive as recently as 18,000 years ago and their demise is attributed to human activity.
袋鼠大家都喜歡，那你喜歡500磅的袋鼠嗎？巨型短面袋鼠（Procoptodon）是一屬生活在更新世澳洲的袋鼠。P. goliah是體型最大的袋鼠，站立時約有3米高，重232公斤。巨型短面袋鼠的面扁平，眼睛向前。每一只腳上只有一只腳趾，就像馬蹄一樣。它在森林及平原行動快捷，主要吃草及樹葉。它的前肢肉墊亦很特別，有兩個特長的手指，指上有大爪。它們有可能用爪來抓樹枝及采葉子來吃。巨型短面袋鼠約于5萬年前滅絕，但有一些資料指牠們在1萬8000年前仍然生存。它們的滅絕成因肯定與人類活動有關(guān)，但直接成因則不清楚。巨型短面袋鼠是側(cè)系群，從短鼻粗尾袋鼠屬演化而來。

13.Macrauchenia（長頸駝）

(Images via abc, avph, absolute astronomy, darwin online)
Macrauchenia lived around 20,000 years ago and were first discovered by Charles Darwin on his famous voyage on the Beagle. These creatures seem like a grab bag of different animals, with a small trunk and a body reminiscent of a camel. Too large to be fast enough, and too small to frighten off potential predators, they never had much of a chance.
長頸駝，又名滑距獸，是一種長頸的南美洲的有蹄動物，屬于滑距骨目。牠有長的四肢，每肢上有三趾。最古老的化石可追溯至約7百萬年前，而在約1萬年前的更新世晚期便失去了化石紀(jì)錄。長頸駝是后弓獸科中最著名的成員，只有在南美洲（主要是阿根廷）有發(fā)現(xiàn)其化石。原模標(biāo)本是由查爾斯·達(dá)爾文（Charles Darwin）在小獵犬號之旅中發(fā)現(xiàn)。長頸駝的外觀就像沒有駝峰及有一個短象鼻的駱駝，但牠們與駱駝或長鼻目沒有親密的關(guān)系。

14.Chalicotherium

(Images via ucmp, blogol, wikimedia)
Chalicotherium was a giant beast that walked on its back feet and knuckles, and used its long arms to pull down high branches for feeding. They were most likely slow and spent a majority of their time consuming leaves. Their only protection was their size and heavy claws on their forelegs, both of which would deter modern predators, but were unexceptional at the time.
Chalicotherium源于古希臘語，小石獸之意。這種生長在中新世到更新世，身高近2米的巨大的動物用腳和手指行走，長長的臂膀可以把樹枝扯下食用。至于手上的長趾是不是用于抵御外敵暫時沒有證據(jù)證實。
（小編有話說：為什么讓我想到了站著走路的馬！冷汗~）