An illustrated guide to Pliocene and Pleistocene megafauna
The Ice Age was not one permanently frozen landscape. Animals occupied African savannas, American forests, tropical lowlands and northern habitats that shifted as glacial and interglacial climates alternated.
Each card opens a complete profile that separates preserved bones, teeth, armour and horn cores from functional inference and artistic reconstruction.
In the catalogue6animal genera
Complete profiles6evidence-led guides
Time range3 epochsMiocene · Pliocene · Pleistocene
The catalogue follows Pliocene and Pleistocene megafauna across several continents. Pelorovis lived in Africa, Eremotherium occupied tropical America, and northern Megalonyx records belong to a warm interglacial interval.
Glacial cycles rearranged vegetation and water without covering the whole planet in ice.
Predators and prey used different tools
Megantereon combined blade-like canines with strong forelimbs. Herbivores used very different systems: Anancus had cusped molars, Pelorovis had high-crowned cheek teeth, and Glyptotherium carried continuously growing teeth.
Large bodies need measured evidence
Supporting bones, articulated skeletons and volumetric models are stronger size evidence than a spectacular tusk, horn or claw. Every profile keeps body estimates tied to the material that carries weight.
Armour, horns and claws
Osteoderms directly preserve the glyptodont shell. Bovid fossils preserve horn cores but not the complete keratin sheath. Ground-sloth claws survive, while their habitual use must be inferred from joints and muscle attachments.
Reading the images
Clean catalogue cards are navigation images. Full profile covers carry the English Dinozavrikus mark and captions that identify which features come from fossils. Hair, colour, lips, herd size and hunting scenes remain less certain.
Frequently asked questions
Did all ice-age animals live beside glaciers?
No. The catalogue includes Pliocene and Pleistocene megafauna from tropical, temperate and high-latitude habitats. Ice sheets covered only part of their world.
Why are some animals older than the Ice Age?
Several lineages began in the Pliocene or earlier and survived into the Pleistocene. The catalogue follows the origins of familiar megafaunal communities rather than one frozen moment.
How is the mass of an extinct mammal estimated?
Researchers use supporting-bone dimensions, articulated skeletons and volumetric models. Incomplete fossils require a range rather than one exact number.
Which details in the illustrations are uncertain?
Bones may fix body proportions, teeth and armour, while coat colour, hair length, lips, horn sheaths and social behaviour often remain reconstructed.
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