Today, many people die from diseases. Whether it may be a heart attack or cancer, this has become some of the leading causes of mortality across the globe.
But, this was not the case in ancient times. Our ancestors met their demise either due to natural death or being eaten or attacked by predators.
As it happened, several deadly and dangerous animals existed at that time. Although humans always like to think that we are on top of the food chain, this isn’t necessarily true.
This post will show you why that is as we will take down memory lane and learn about the top five deadliest and most dangerous animals in history.
1. Mosquito
This may surprise some but, the most dangerous and deadliest animal of all time is the mosquito. As reported, more than 108 billion people have lived on Earth over the course of 200,000 years. Nearly half of the number is said to have been killed by mosquitoes.
In modern times, millions of people die annually because of these insects. The reason being is that mosquitoes transmit diseases to humans. These include malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and zika, and West Nile virus.
Apart from transmitting the diseases, they cause the further spread of several viruses. As stated, all of these are fatal to humans.
Mosquitoes live nearly everywhere in the world, if not all parts of the globe. Studies show that the oldest fossil is from 79 million years ago but, experts believe that they have been in existence for over 226 million years.
2. Man-Eating Crocodile (Crocodylus anthropophagus)
Experts assert that the Crocodylus anthropophagus is one of the top deadliest animals in history. The name itself means “man-eating,” because they believe that these animals ate hominids completely, leaving no trace.
Some reports also call these crocodiles “monsters” due to their monstrous size. They were typically 24 feet long, with massive teeth and jaws that could reportedly crush a human in a split second.
In comparison to the Nile Crocodiles, which are large crocodilians native to Africa, the Crocodylus anthropophagus was twice the size in terms of length. This is because the Nile Crocodiles are usually 13 feet long on average.
Experts have yet to find many fossils belonging to the Man-Eating Crocodiles. Those that they have are not even reportedly complete.
Therefore, the exact details of their existence remain inconclusive. They have yet to learn the extent of the relationship between the Crocodylus anthropophagus and other crocodiles, like the Nile Crocodiles. Moreover, they do not know yet when these animals went extinct.
3. Saber-Toothed Cat
Saber-toothed cats or tigers are very popular today due to pop culture. But, what some people do not know is that they belong on the list of the top-most dangerous animals in the history of the world.
What makes them famous is because of their elongated bladelike canine teeth. These were also what made them deadly and ferocious.
As noted, these teeth were serrated on both edges. This is why Saber-tooth Cats could slice chunks of meat off their prey easily.
Also, they had the ability to open their mouths up to 130 degrees. Their jaw gape was one of the reasons behind their dangerous nature. Most modern large cats can only open theirs up to 65 degrees.
Saber-tooth cats lived through the Pleistocene epoch. Although, evidence shows that they began to exist during the Eocene epoch.
Experts also believe that they prey on Mastodons, considering the characteristics of their teeth and prey-hunting techniques. This is why when Mastodons became extinct during the late Pliocene epoch, the Saber-tooth Cats died out, as well.
4. Giant Hyena
Next on the list is the Giant Hyena or the Pachycrocuta. Worry not as they are already extinct shortly after the Pleistocene epoch or the Ice Age. They were prevalent during this period, as well as in the Pliocene epoch.
Pachycrocuta is no different from the modern Spotted Hyenas. The only difference is that the former is three times larger in size with a more “stockily built.” Some even weighed up to 400 lbs, and they were as big as lions, according to certain accounts.
Due to their sizes, Giant Hyenas had a mouth large enough to devour a human’s head. But, apart from this, it is reportedly nearly impossible to outrun a Pachycrocuta because they were fierce and fast.
If some were able to run and hide, experts believe that Giant Hyenas would still find them and have them as their prey at the end of the day. This is because they were incredibly “resilient and resourceful.”
Despite having these characteristics, though, reports said that the extinction of Giant Hyenas was likely driven by its modern descendants, the Spotted Hyenas.
5. Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragons are one of the most dangerous animals in history. While they were rampant in previous centuries, they are now classified as “vulnerable.”
Despite this, these reptiles remain one of the deadliest animals in the world. This is because they are fierce hunters and their powerful bite is venomous.
As claimed, the venom can paralyze a human hours after the bite. Accordingly, these reptiles utilize it to kill their prey.
Alongside the venomous bite, their jaw and pointed teeth alone are already dangerous enough. This is because they can make quick work on munching flesh and bones.
In fact, Komodo Dragons will eat almost anything, as per reports. They even take smaller dragons as food at times. Moreover, they can kill water buffalos after hunting them with the use of patience and camouflage. Therefore, it is not surprising that these reptiles are a danger to humans. In addition, experts found out that they can eat 80 percent of their body weight in one feeding. As you may know, a Komodo Dragon weighs up to 300 lbs. on an average note.
The Most Dangerous of All
Although mosquitoes are named as the deadliest of all animals, many reports and experts assert that humans are the deadliest of all. This comes as people have done several things, causing the endangerment and elimination of various biofactors on Earth, even the extinction of many animals.
In the end, though, humans also have the capability to do good and fix the damage. So, even if people are the deadliest biofactor, we can become the “most influential,” as well.