Comments on: The Bigger They Are: 10 Ice Age Giants

By: whynot

whynot — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:48:04 +0000

Another reader who loved this article except for that last comment. Boring and ill-informed – not at all what we expect from Mental Floss!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:32:11 +0000

Well I’ll have a nightmare about that bird now thx

By: Kelly T.

Kelly T. — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:26:51 +0000

Your photo of the Giant Short-Faced Bear skeleton, although amusing, is incorrect. What you have is a photo of the European cave bear, Ursus spelaeus.

But it is an ice age mammal.

By: misty

misty — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:47:59 +0000

i dont know what to say that is one big bird but i dont think that the bird in the pic is real.

By: akshaya the eagle person

akshaya the eagle person — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:21:41 +0000

The teratorn is a big bird, but I’d consider it less of strength. With the exception of the teratorn species of Argentavis magnifecens, the Haast’s eagle was larger (though their wingspan wasn’t as impressive as the giant condor) than most teratorns, and more powerful. Their ancestor was relatively small as the little eagle, and when those little things came to New Zealand, they said, “Hey! No terrestial predators! Let’s grow 10 times the our normal size.” And…they did. Their occupation started at 1.8 million years ago and ended just 5oo years ago when the Maori settled in New Zealand and hunted the Moa (Haast’s eagle’s main food source) to extinction. What’s really impressive was that the Haast’s actually ate people, mistaking them for the South Island giant moa (though people were much smaller)!

By: That Guy

That Guy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:32:36 +0000

I believe the Giant Beaver is related to the ROAS (Rodents of Unusual Size.) These menacing rodents prefer warm moist climates such as fireswamps.*

Also, some scientists believe the Giant Beaver may in fact be related to my mother-in-law.

Also the Teratorn has been sighted by Native Americans and is referred to as the Thunderbird or Piasa, The Bird that Devours Men (Again, not to be confused with my mother-in-law.) Also in modern history there have been many reported sightings as well; even as recent as 2002 in Alaska.

For the naysayers, there could have not been a legend in existence without experience upon which it was based. And I beleive it has already been established that the Teratorn existed (or still exists) along with humans.

*All comments regarding the ROAS are not factual and are intended purely for entertainment purposes. Comments about my mother-in-law however are entirely factual and if anything, understated.

By: ThatGuy

ThatGuy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:23:04 +0000

I believe the Giant Beaver is related to the ROAS (Rodents of Unusual Size.) These menacing rodents prefer warm moist climates such as fireswamps.

Also, some scientists believe the Giant Beaver may in fact be related to my mother-in-law.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:02:02 +0000

Prehistoric Fan sounds like he/she is sensitive about obesity. Also sounds like kind of a douche. *sheesh*

By: Just some idiot

Just some idiot — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:13:00 +0000

By obesity epidemic, she’s probably referring to this … http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm

Prehistoric Fan, take everything you said about the author in your post, turn it around and apply it to yourself and you’ll be much more accurate.

By: dc

dc — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:59:49 +0000

Awesome post! I love reading amour these giant animals. I love pictures even more.

It is neat to know that they existed and also that we still have giant animals today. I did not know modern elephants and mammoths were the same size. Really?

Did you know the blue whale is still the largest mammal that ever lived?

The last comment was obviously a joke. LOL this is a blog not a scientific journal :)