Pleistocene epoch

The Pleistocene is the 1st epoch of the Quaternary period. It was the time of the megafauna. It included the great event known as the ice age which caused sea levels to go down, creating land bridges.

Pleistocene life
Australia- During the Pleistocene, Australia was home to giant marsupials and a giant reptile called megalania.

Megalania- a giant predatory elephant sized lizard

Diprotodon- a large rhino sized marsupial

South America - South america was a grassland during the Pleistocene. These grasslands were dominated by large mammals and huge predatory birds.

Toxodon- a large hippo like mammal

Megatherium- a giant, elephant sized ground sloth with large claws

Phorusrachus- a giant predatory bird with a razor sharp beak

Smilodon- the famous saber toothed tiger. It had extremely long canines

North America - North America was dominated by creatures that resemble large versions of today's North American wildlife. These included giant bears, cats, beavers and wolves.

Terratornis- a huge vulture like bird, larger than an Andean condor

Castoroides- a car sized beaver that weighed up to 100 kg

Glyptodon- a large couch sized mammal with a dome shaped shell. It resembled an armadillo

Arctodus- a mega bear as large as a polar bear

Canis Dirus- a wolf the same size as a gray wolf with a broader face and shorter legs

Smilodon- a huge cat with long canines

Mammuthus- a large furry elephant with the same type of teeth as a modern elephant

Mammut- similar to mammathus, but smaller with teeth designed for different purposes

Europe-  Giant mammoths, rhinos, and deer ruled Europe during the Pleistocene. Many of these creatures were relatives of today's African fauna: Mammoths- elephants, Wooly rhinos- modern rhinos, cave hyaenas- modern hyaenas.

Crocuta- a genus that includes the modern spotted hyaena and the prehistoric cave hyaena

Mammuthus-  a large furry elephant with extremely long tusks

Mammut- a medium sized elephant like animal with teeth designed for chewing hard things, unlike mammuthus

Coelodonta- a wooly rhino the size of a white rhino

Megaloceras- a really large deer with extremely large antlers