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简体中文Prehistoric Life
How big were prehistoric animals and plants? 116 sizes compared
The tallest thing on this page is not a dinosaur. Lepidodendron, a tree of the coal-age swamps, grew to about 30 m (98 ft), and no animal here measures more. The biggest animal is Dreadnoughtus schrani, a long-necked dinosaur estimated at about 26 m (85 ft) long. The smallest is Saccorhytus coronarius, a fossil animal of about 1.5 mm, smaller than a grain of rice. In between are Columbian mammoths about 4 m (13 ft) at the shoulder, Argentavis magnificens with a wingspan of about 7 m (23 ft), the snake Titanoboa cerrejonensis at about 13 m (43 ft) long, and early humans such as Homo erectus, who stood about 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall. Most of these sizes are estimates from fossils, usually for an adult, and each is measured the way its source measures it, such as height, shoulder height, length or wingspan.
Free on iPhone and Android
Sizes in Prehistoric Life
All 116 prehistoric animals and plants on this page, from the smallest to the largest. Each size is in metric units first, with imperial in brackets where it differs.
| Name | Size |
|---|---|
| Saccorhytus coronarius | 1.5 mm |
| Chimerarachne yingibody length | 2.5 mm (0.1 in) |
| Elrathia kingiwidth | 2 cm (0.79 in) |
| Marrella splendenstotal length | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) |
| Eldredgeops ranabody length | 5 cm (1.97 in) |
| Pikaia gracilenstotal length | 5 cm (1.97 in) |
| Titanomyrma giganteumbody length | 5 cm (1.97 in) |
| Tribrachidium heraldicumwidth | 5 cm (1.97 in) |
| Cooksonia pertoniheight | 6.5 cm (2.56 in) |
| Ottoia prolificabody length | 8 cm (3.15 in) |
| Olenoides serratustotal length | 10 cm (3.94 in) |
| Dickinsonia costatawidth | 14 cm (5.51 in) |
| Beelzebufo ampingabody length | 40 cm (1 ft 4 in) |
| Hyracotherium leporinumshoulder height | 40 cm (1 ft 4 in) |
| Paradoxides davidisbody length | 45 cm (1 ft 6 in) |
| Archaeopteryxbody length | 50 cm (1 ft 8 in) |
| Yi qiwingspan | 60 cm (2 ft) |
| Thylacinus cynocephalusshoulder height | 60 cm (2 ft) |
| Leaellynasaura amicagraphicabody length | 60 cm (2 ft) |
| Acanthostega gunnaribody length | 60 cm (2 ft) |
| Meganeura monyiwingspan | 70 cm (2 ft 4 in) |
| Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensistotal length | 70 cm (2 ft 4 in) |
| Confuciusornis sanctuswingspan | 70 cm (2 ft 4 in) |
| Microraptor guitotal length | 77 cm (2 ft 6 in) |
| Anomalocaris canadensisbody length | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Diplocaulus magnicornistotal length | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Eoraptor lunensisbody length | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Australopithecus afarensisstanding height | 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) |
| Smilodonshoulder height | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Sinosauropteryx primatotal length | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Heterodontosaurus tuckibody length | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Smilodon fatalisshoulder height | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Thylacosmilus atroxbody length | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Compsognathus longipestotal length | 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) |
| Cave bearshoulder height | 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) |
| Paranthropus boiseistanding height | 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) |
| Dimorphodon macronyxwingspan | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) |
| Pterodactylus antiquuswingspan | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Thylacoleo carnifexbody length | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Ichthyostega stensioeibody length | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Titanis walleristanding height | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Icadyptes salasistanding height | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Neanderthalstanding height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Dimetrodon grandisheight | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Homo erectusstanding height | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Gastornis giganteastanding height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Coelodonta antiquitatisshoulder height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Rhamphorhynchus muensteriwingspan | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Dire wolftotal length | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Protoceratops andrewsibody length | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Castoroides ohioensistotal length | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Elasmotherium sibiricumshoulder height | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Megaloceros giganteusshoulder height | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Entelodon magnusbody length | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Daeodon shoshonensisshoulder height | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Triceratops horridusshoulder height | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Parapuzosia seppenradensisdiameter | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Pterodaustro guinazuiwingspan | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Maiasaura peeblesorumstanding height | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Arthropleura armatatotal length | 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Mammut americanumshoulder height | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Hieraaetus mooreiwingspan | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Mussaurus patagonicustotal length | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Aepyornis maximusstanding height | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Kelenken guillermoistanding height | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Macrauchenia patachonicabody length | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Gigantopithecus blackistanding height | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Glyptodon clavipeslength | 3.3 m (11 ft) |
| Arctodus simusstanding height | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
| Megatherium americanumstanding height | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Edaphosaurus pogoniasbody length | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Ornithomimus edmontonicustotal length | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Dinornis robustusstanding height | 3.6 m (12 ft) |
| Palaeoloxodon antiquusshoulder height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Deinotherium giganteumshoulder height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Mammuthus columbishoulder height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensisbody length | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
| Anhanguera santanaewingspan | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Iguanodon bernissartensisstanding height | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Kentrosaurus aethiopicustotal length | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Paraceratherium transouralicumshoulder height | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Ceratosaurus nasicornistotal length | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Tanystropheus hydroidestotal length | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Herrerasaurus ischigualastensistotal length | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Euoplocephalus tutustotal length | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Pteranodonwingspan | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Argentavis magnificenswingspan | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Megalania priscabody length | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Helicoprion bessonowitotal length | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
| Ankylosaurus magniventristotal length | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Prototaxitesheight | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Nigersaurus taquetitotal length | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Albertosaurus sarcophagusbody length | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Parasaurolophus walkeritotal length | 9.5 m (31 ft) |
| Allosaurus fragilisbody length | 9.7 m (32 ft) |
| Therizinosaurus cheloniformistotal length | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Hatzegopteryx thambemawingspan | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Amargasaurus cazauibody length | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Tarbosaurus bataarbody length | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Elasmosaurus platyurustotal length | 10.3 m (34 ft) |
| Kronosaurus queenslandicusbody length | 10.5 m (34 ft) |
| Deinocheirus mirificustotal length | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Suchomimus tenerensisbody length | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Mosasaurus hoffmanniitotal length | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Saurolophus osbornitotal length | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Mapusaurus roseaebody length | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Brachiosaurus altithoraxheight | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Titanoboa cerrejonensistotal length | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Livyatan melvilleitotal length | 13.5 m (44 ft) |
| Giraffatitan brancaiheight | 13.5 m (44 ft) |
| Basilosaurus cetoidestotal length | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Sauroposeidon protelesstanding height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Mamenchisaurus hochuanensistotal length | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Apatosaurus louisaebody length | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Dreadnoughtus schranibody length | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Lepidodendronheight | 30 m (98 ft) |
Free on iPhone and Android
Play Prehistoric Life in Magnitudle
20 levels of Prehistoric Life in the app: 6 normal and 14 hard.
Levels include “Ancient Giants And Oddities”, “Strange Beginnings And Giants” and “Walkers Swimmers And Sky Hunters”.
In each level you guess sizes before you see them: resize a silhouette to scale, rank things by size or pick the biggest.
Levels, the daily challenge and live duels are all in the app: Magnitudle for iPhone.
Test your sense of scale
Order from biggest to smallest
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