Tag Archives: Pleistocene

Overkill

Posted on March 25, 2015 by twilightbeasts

“But how could they have killed them all with just pointy sticks?” This question, or a variation thereof, has been asked of me, seemingly whenever I bring up the concept of overkill as the likely cause of Pleistocene megafaunal extinction. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sea cow | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Joseph Leidy’s atrocious baby

Posted on January 22, 2015 by twilightbeasts

  Talk about the American lion today and most people will think you mean the cougar (Puma concolor), a beautiful, lithe predator sadly extinct from most of the Eastern United States, but still doing well in the west, and in … Continue reading →

Posted in American Lion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The most lonely places

Posted on December 4, 2014 by twilightbeasts

“Vouronpatra: A large bird which haunts the Ampatres [marshy places] and lays eggs like the ostrich’s; so that the people of these places may not take it, it seeks the most lonely places.”   The beasts of the Pleistocene cause … Continue reading →

Posted in Elephant Bird | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An adorable goofy looking giant

Posted on October 6, 2014 by twilightbeasts

There’s a legend in Australia of a shadowy creature called the bunyip which lurks at watering holes, swamps: places which are just a little removed from everyday life. It’s described as having dark smooth fur, tusks or large prominent teeth, … Continue reading →

Posted in Diprotodon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A home on the range

Posted on September 11, 2014 by twilightbeasts

Imagine an igloo. Now picture it with a crash helmet poking out the front, and a medieval spiked club sticking out the back. Elevate that image on four stubby legs, convert it into bone and flesh and you have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Glyptodon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The surprising cheetah

Posted on August 8, 2014 by twilightbeasts

A cheetah stands yawning. Its shoulders shiver as it makes a feeble attempt to get rid of some irritating flies. Nearby, two spotted cubs hide under a bush to keep them safe from roaming lions, while a herd of antelope … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheetah | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

To worship the lion

Posted on July 4, 2014 by twilightbeasts

We think of lions, today, as African animals. This is mostly true. However, there is still a tiny refugium of non-African lions, isolated in the Kathiawar peninsula of India, and centred on the Gir forest reserve. Here, 400 or so … Continue reading →

Posted in Cave Lion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The bear necessities

Posted on July 2, 2014 by twilightbeasts

Humans and bears have a strange relationship. On the one hand we see them as lovable, smart, curious creatures (think Baloo from the Jungle Book). On the other, we have taken great pains to exterminate them wherever and whenever we … Continue reading →

Posted in Cave Bear | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An elk that wasn’t an elk

Posted on April 30, 2014 by twilightbeasts

To see an Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) in all its glory, visit the National Museum of Ireland, in Dublin. Here, skeletons of this magnificent beast are articulated, proudly towering higher than the visitors. What really stands out are the incredibly enormous … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Elk | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments