An unimaginable event took place about 251 million years ago, which significantly influenced subsequent eras. The name given by scientists to this event sounds like the Permian-Tertiary Extinction, or the Great Extinction.
It became a formative boundary between two geological periods - the Permian and Triassic, or, in other words, between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. It took a little time for most of the marine and terrestrial species to cease to exist.
These events contributed to the formation of a group of archosaurs on land (the most prominent representatives are dinosaurs) and the so-called. "Sea dinosaurs".
Because it would not be correct to call dinosaurs marine, we put such a phrase as “marine dinosaurs” in quotes and ask you to treat with condescension this “amateurish” definition further in the article (ed.).
Marine reptiles inhabited the water areas of the Mesozoic along with land dinosaurs. They also disappeared at the same time - about 65.5 million years ago. The cause was the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
In this article, we want to acquaint you with a selection of 10 of the brightest and most ferocious representatives of the "sea dinosaurs".
Shastasaurus is a genus of "dinosaurs" that existed more than 200 million years ago - the end of the Triassic period. According to scientists, their habitat was the territory of modern North America and China.
Shastazaur remains have been found in California, British Columbia and the Chinese province of Guizhou.
Shastazaurus belongs to ichthyosaurs - marine predators similar to modern dolphins. Being the largest reptile in the water, individuals could grow to incredible sizes: body length - 21 meters, weight - 20 tons.
But, despite their large size, the Shastazaurs were not entirely terrible predators. They ate by the suction method, and ate mainly fish.
Dakosaurus are saltwater crocodiles that lived more than 100.5 million years ago: Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous.
The first remains were found in Germany, and later expanded from England to Russia and Argentina.
Dacosaurs were large, carnivorous animals. The maximum body length, both reptilian and fish-like, did not exceed 6 meters.
Scientists who have studied the structure of the teeth of this species believe that the drakosaurus was the main predator during the period of residence.
Drakosaurs hunted exclusively for large prey.
Thalassomedon - "Dinosaurs" belonging to the group of pliosaurs. Translated from Greek - "sea lord". Lived 95 million years ago on the territory of the North. America.
The body length reached 12.5 meters. Huge fins, which allowed him to swim with incredible speed, could grow up to 2 meters. The size of the skull was 47 cm, and the teeth were about 5 cm. The main diet was fish.
The dominance of these predators persisted until the Late Cretaceous, and ceased only with the appearance of the Mosasaurs.
Nothosaurus - "sea lizards" that existed in the Triassic period - about 240-210 million years ago. They were found on the territory of Russia, Israel, China, North Africa.
Scientists believe that notosaurs are cousins of pliosaurs, another type of deep-sea predator.
Notosaurs were extremely aggressive predators, and their bodies were up to 4 m long. The limbs were webbed. There were 5 long fingers, intended both for movement on land and for swimming.
The teeth of the predators were sharp and pointed outward. Most likely, notosaurs ate fish and squid. They are believed to have ambushed, using their sleek, reptilian physique to subtly approach food, catching it by surprise.
A complete notosaurus skeleton is in the Museum natural history, Berlin.
The sixth place on our list of "marine dinosaurs" is occupied by Tylosaurus.
Tylosaurus - refers to the species of mosasaurs. Large predatory "lizard" that lived in the oceans 88-78 million years ago - the end of the Cretaceous period.
Huge tylosaurs reached 15 meters in length, thus being the dominant predators of their time.
Tylosaurs' diet was varied: fish, large predatory sharks, small mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, waterfowl.
Thalattoarchon is a marine reptile that existed in the Triassic period - 245 million years ago.
The first remains, discovered in Nevada in 2010, have given scientists a fresh look at the lightning-fast ecosystem recovery after the Great Extinction.
The skeleton that was found - part of the skull, spine, pelvic bones, part of the hind fins - was about the size of a school bus: about 9 meters in length.
Talattoarchon was an apex predator, growing up to 8.5 m.
Tanystropheus is a lizard-like reptile that existed 230 - 215 million years ago - the middle Triassic period.
Tanystropheus grew up to 6 meters in length, had a 3.5-meter elongated and mobile neck.
They were not exclusively aquatic: most likely, they could lead both aquatic and semi-aquatic life, hunting near the coast. Tanystrophies are predators that ate fish and cephalopods.
Liopleurodon are large carnivorous marine reptiles. Lived about 165-155 million years ago - the border of the Middle and Late Jurassic period.
Typical dimensions of liopleurodon are 5-7 meters in length, weight is 1-1.7 tons. It is believed that the most famous large representative was more than 10 meters in length.
Scientists believe that the jaws of these reptiles reached 3 m.
During its period, liopleurodon was considered an apex predator, dominating the food chain.
They hunted from an ambush. They ate cephalopods, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sharks and other large animals.
Mosasaurus are reptiles of the Late Cretaceous period - 70-65 million years ago. Habitat - the territory of modern Western Europe, North America.
The first remains were discovered in 1764 near the Meuse River.
Appearance Mosasaurus is a mixture of whale, fish and crocodile. There were hundreds of sharp teeth.
They preferred to eat fish, cephalopods, turtles and ammonites.
Research by scientists suggests that mosasaurs may be distant relatives of modern monitor lizards and iguanas.
The first place is rightfully taken by the prehistoric shark, which is considered a truly terrible creature.
Carcharocles lived 28.1-3 million ago - the Cenozoic era.
It is one of the largest carnivores in the history of marine life. It is considered the ancestor of the great white shark - the most terrible and strongest predator today.
The body length reached up to 20 m, and the weight - up to 60 tons.
Megalodons hunted cetaceans and other large aquatic animals.
An interesting fact is that some cryptozoologists believe that this predator could survive to the present time. But, fortunately, apart from the found huge 15-centimeter teeth, there is no other evidence.
Some of the largest creatures that have ever inhabited this world lived millions of years ago. Below are ten of the largest, most fearsome sea monsters that once roamed the oceans:
10. Shastasaurus
Ichthyosaurs were marine predators that looked like modern dolphins and could reach enormous sizes, they lived in the Triassic period about 200 million years ago.
Shastazaurus, the largest marine reptile ever found, was an ichthyosaur that could grow to over 20 meters. It was much longer than most other predators. But one of the largest creatures to ever swim in the sea was not exactly a fearsome predator; Shastazaur ate by suction, and ate mainly fish.
9. Dakosaurus
Dacosaurus was first discovered in Germany, and with a strange reptilian and fishy body, it was one of the main predators at sea during the Jurassic period.
His fossils have been found over a very wide area - they have been found everywhere, from England to Russia to Argentina. Although it is commonly compared to modern crocodiles, Dacosaurus could reach 5 meters in length. His unique teeth have led scientists to believe that he was a prime predator during his terrible reign.
8. Thalassomedon
Thalassomedon belonged to the Pliosaurs group, and its name is translated from Greek as "Sea Lord" - and for good reason. Thalassomedons were huge predators, reaching up to 12 meters in length.
He had almost 2 meter fins, which allowed him to swim in depths with deadly efficiency. His reign as a predator lasted until the late Cretaceous period, until it finally came to an end when new, larger predators such as the Mosasaurs appeared in the sea.
7. Nothosaurus
The Notosaurs, which were only 4 meters long, were aggressive predators. They were armed with a mouthful of sharp, outwardly directed teeth, indicating that their diet consisted of squid and fish. It is believed that the Notosaurs were primarily ambush predators. They used their sleek, reptilian physique to sneak up on prey and take it by surprise when attacking.
The Notosaurs are believed to be related to pliosaurs, another type of deep sea predator. The data obtained from the fossil remains indicate that they lived during the Triassic period about 200 million years ago.
6. Tylosaurus
Tylosaurus belonged to the Mosasaur species. It was enormous in size, reaching over 15 meters in length.
Tylosaurus was a meat-eater with a very varied diet. In their stomachs were found traces of fish, sharks, smaller mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and even some flightless birds... They lived at the end of the Cretaceous in the sea that spanned what is now North America, where they sat tightly at the top of the marine food chain for several million years.
5. Thalattoarchon Saurophagis
Only recently discovered, Talattoarchon was the size of a school bus, reaching almost 9 meters in length. It is an early ichthyosaur species that lived during the Triassic period, 244 million years ago. Due to the fact that they appeared shortly after the Permian extinction (the largest mass extinction on Earth, when scientists believe 95% of marine life was destroyed), his discovery gives scientists a new look at quick recovery ecosystems.
4. Tanystropheus
Although Tanystropheus was not strictly a marine life, its diet consisted mainly of fish, and scientists believe that it spent most of its time in the water. The tanystropheus was a reptile that could reach 6 meters in length and is believed to have lived during the Triassic period about 215 million years ago.
3. Liopleurodon
Liopleurodon was a marine reptile and reached over 6 meters in length. It mainly lived in the seas that covered Europe during the Jurassic period and was one of the best predators of its time. Its jaws alone are believed to have reached over 3 meters - roughly equal to the distance from floor to ceiling.
With such huge teeth, it is not difficult to understand why Liopleurodon dominated the food chain.
2. Mosasaurus
If Liopleurodon was huge, then Mosasaurus was colossal.
Fossil evidence suggests that the Mosasaurus could grow up to 15 meters in length, making it one of the largest marine predators of the Cretaceous period. The Mosasaur's head was similar to that of a crocodile, armed with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth that could kill even the most heavily defended opponents.
1. Megalodon
One of the largest predators in marine history and one of the largest sharks ever recorded, the Megalodons were incredibly scary creatures.
Megalodons roamed the depths of the oceans during the Cenozoic era, 28 to 1.5 million years ago, and were a much larger version of the great white shark, the most feared and powerful predator in the oceans today. But while the maximum length that modern great white sharks can reach is 6 meters, Megalodons could grow up to 20 meters in length, which means they were larger than a school bus!
The Peruvian deserts are known for their artifacts, the most famous of which are the giant Nazca paintings. Now the Pisco-Ica desert presented a real gift to paleontologists, in one of the geological formations of which scientists were able to unearth fragments of a huge jaw.
The first to notice the remains was Claes Post, an employee of the Natural History Museum of Rotterdam. On a short expedition into the desert, he noticed well-preserved bones resembling elephant tusks. Subsequent excavations allowed scientists to extract large fragments of a skull and several teeth from the bowels of the earth.
After careful examination of the recovered animal remains, an international team of Dutch, Peruvian, French and Italian scientists determined that in front of them are the bones of the largest carnivorous marine mammal that mankind has ever encountered.
Research results of scientists published in the journal Nature.
The analysis of the found remains allowed the researchers to determine the age of the find - 12-13 million years. Scientists have reconstructed the skull of this sea monster and its torso. It turned out that his head is larger than the height of an adult and is about two to three meters. The fossil sperm whale also had sharp teeth, reaching a height of 36 centimeters.
As pioneers, scientists named the sperm whale they dug Leviathan melvillei after the American writer, whose most famous work is the novel "Moby Dick or the White Whale."
This work tells about the hunt of the whaling ship "Pequod" for a giant white whale Moby Dick. At the end of the novel, both the monster and the entire crew of the ship die, except for the sailor, on whose behalf the story is being told.
The fossil sperm whale Leviathan melvillei was found in a layer of sedimentary rock indicating that Peru had an ocean millions of years ago. Not so long ago, other scientists discovered the remains of giant sharks there. Scientists suggest that along with them, the sperm whale ate smaller whales, not exceeding ten meters in size. Probably, an ancient hunt could look like the one shown in the picture for this note.
Compared to Leviathan melvillei, modern sperm whales look completely harmless.
They do not have such giant teeth, and their main food is squid, shellfish and fish.
In addition to describing a new species of sperm whale, scientists have proposed an alternative explanation for the appearance in whales of a giant bubble of spermacet (a viscous liquid that was the main trophy of whalers) located in the head of the animal. In the 18th century, candles were made from spermacet, later it was used as a lubricant and a base for the preparation of creams and ointments. Now, due to the cessation of the production of sperm whales, spermaceti is no longer obtained and not used.
It is believed that the spermacet bubble allows whales to dive deeper.
But scientists who have studied Leviathan melvillei believe that their fossil "ward" lived near the surface of the ocean and did not need such a "sinker". Scientists believe that this bubble was used by the sperm whale as a weapon in hunting smaller whales.
Our animals are rich and diverse. The most dangerous predators have always aroused great interest in humans. Firstly, it's scary, and secondly, we are so arranged that we want to know who is the strongest, bravest, most beautiful, terrible, etc. And it doesn't matter who we are talking about - about ourselves or about our brothers our smaller ones (well, or big ones). To date, experts do not have a consensus about which animals are the planets. Probably, once they were dinosaurs, but today they are worthy of this title. different types... These are both amphibians and marine life. In this article, we will present you the Top 10 most dangerous predators in the world.
Polar bear
First in our ranking, we present the northern giant, the largest land-based predator. This is a polar, or polar bear. Its weight reaches eight hundred kilograms, and its body length is three meters. Scientists note that this is an animal with a high level of intelligence, which easily navigates the vast expanses of ice.
This bear hunts all year round. This is due to the fact that, unlike its brown counterparts, it does not hibernate. They also feed on small animals. As a rule, the most dangerous predators in the world attack humans as well. The polar bear is no exception, but an attack usually follows only when the animal feels aggression or fear from a person.
Tiger
This amazingly beautiful cat lives in natural conditions in our country in the Far East, as well as in China, Iran, Afghanistan, India. When people are asked: "What is the most dangerous predator in the world?", Most of them call it a tiger.
Among felines, this is indeed one of the most dangerous and largest animals. Its weight reaches seven hundred kilograms or more. In search of prey, these predators are able to cover great distances, not only during the day, but also at night. In a day, in case of a successful hunt, the tiger eats up to ten kilograms of meat.
His hunt is based on the factor of surprise. Without uttering a single sound, the striped beauties jump out of ambush and attack their prey. In an instant, they gnaw through the animal's vertebrae. Tigers can become cannibals when they are short on food. In our time, the population of these representatives of the feline around the world has significantly decreased.
Wolf
But these animals are widespread in our latitudes. They are the most dangerous woodland predators in the world. Usually wolves hunt in packs. This makes them even more dangerous as the victim has to fight several powerful assassins. Several young and strong wolves begin to chase their prey at once. The dominant male "leads" the chase. There is always a dominant female nearby. As soon as the victim accidentally stumbles and falls, a hungry, ferocious flock pounces on him. Their sharp fangs tear apart the flesh in an instant, leaving no chance for the animal to escape.
Crocodile
The wild world is amazing and unpredictable. The most dangerous predators often remain almost invisible until the very attack. This primarily concerns the crocodile. He merges with the water surface and watches his potential victim. Having chosen the right moment, the monster makes a throw and attacks.
The main weapons of crocodiles are powerful jaws and sharp teeth that allow the predator to hunt very many large animals. For example, the Nile crocodile is capable of killing a zebra or even a buffalo. The predator is waiting for the animals that go to his ambush at the watering hole. He grabs them with his "iron" teeth and pulls them under the water. There he begins to quickly rotate his head until a piece of flesh is in his mouth.
Komodo dragon
When looking at the photo below, it is difficult to believe that this is a lizard. The length of this reptile reaches three meters, and its weight often exceeds one hundred and fifty kilograms. This is a fast and strong animal, capable of killing its prey, which is twice its size.
Victory in battle is assured thanks to the venomous bite. For this reason, an animal that miraculously escaped from the embrace of a predator still dies after a short time. Usually the monitor lizard is waiting for prey in ambush. But if necessary, this one can swim and run. In one sitting, the monitor lizard eats about seventy kilograms of meat.
Killer whale
The most dangerous predators in the world lie in wait for humans not only on land, but also in water. The name of this large animal is Killer Whale. It translates from English as "killer whale". This is a very dangerous predator indeed. The killer whale is an unsurpassed master of the hunt, which is not surprising given the enormous physical strength.
Of all the predators in the water, the killer whale boasts the most varied diet. It feeds on seals and penguins, which it grabs underwater. They also catch big fish.
Killer whales are social animals, they live in backwaters in the company of a dozen relatives. And they go hunting in a group. Some of these predators are so fierce and aggressive that they occasionally eat other aquatic carnivores.
Brown bear
V North America brown bears (grizzlies) are found. Local residents, like many experts, believe that these are the most dangerous animals on Earth. The ferocious huge beast often stands on its hind legs. Its height reaches two meters, with a weight of four hundred kilograms.
The grizzly bear has powerful jaws and legs that can easily deal with a person. This type of clubfoot is also dangerous because it is also an excellent swimmer. Meeting a man with a grizzly bear almost always ends in tragedy.
a lion
Often, the world's most dangerous predators receive very resounding titles. For example, the lion is called the king of beasts. And he lives up to his title. Its strength allows you to hunt large animals (wildebeest or buffalo). These predators live in prides, all family members participate in the hunt. Adult animals play hunting with young ones. The acquired skills will certainly be useful to young individuals in their future adult life.
It is necessary to take into account the impressive size of these animals, their strength and power. All these qualities allow lions to take their rightful place in the list of "Most dangerous predators in the world."
Panther
This is one of the representatives of the leopards. But, unlike them, panthers are melanistic animals, with one even color. Black cats are much more aggressive than leopards. They can come pretty close to a person, because they have absolutely no fear of him.
The panther is a very graceful and beautiful animal. Her body in length can reach one hundred and eighty centimeters (including the tail one hundred and ten centimeters), with a mass of just under one hundred kilograms. Naturally found in tropical countries, especially common on the island of Java.
Panthers are very dexterous and cunning predators with well-developed senses. Color is of great importance in a successful hunt: they cannot be seen in the dark when they go hunting. In addition, they sneak up silently.
White shark
And yet, what is the most dangerous predator in the world? We said that there is no definite answer to this question, but most experts believe that, compared to everyone else, the greatest threat to their "neighbors" is the white shark. Yes, in the risk zone there are only well and a person who dared to "visit" the mysterious underwater world. But this does not make the terrible monster less dangerous.
If this predator has chosen its prey, then no living creature has a chance to escape. The streamlined body shape allows the storm of the seas to move quickly, and the incredibly powerful jaws are the real weapon of the killer. The great white shark can make surprisingly sharp maneuvers, despite its impressive size. In pursuit of the victim, she even jumps out of the water. Many sharp teeth determine the outcome of the hunt. By the way, interesting fact: even if a shark loses a tooth, it quickly grows a new one, no less sharp.
Scientists claim that up to fifty thousand teeth change in her entire life. When hunting, the shark always makes a "test" bite, which should weaken the victim. While the prey loses strength, the predator waits. Only after a while, the shark swims up to the victim again and eats it.
The most dangerous predators in the world: interesting facts
- The male crocodile has a real "harem" - about ten females.
- People arrange themselves fasting days, and crocodiles have unloading years. A predator may not eat for a whole year.
- Crocodiles swallow stones that remain in the stomach, helping to grind food and normalizing the animal's center of gravity.
- The coat of bears is two-layer: the upper one - the shorter one - protects from the cold, and the longer one - from the water.
- At the sight of a trap, the bear often rolls up a stone to it, and then eats the bait without risk.
- During hibernation, the bear's pulse slows down fivefold - from forty to eight beats per minute.
In sedimentary rocks on the Peruvian coast, a fragment of a three-meter fossilized skull of a giant sperm whale was found. The find was made in the desert 35 km southwest of the city of Ica (already known to many paleontologists for its artifacts) by paleontologist Klaas Post of the Rotterdam Natural History Museum on the last day of the expedition of a team of paleontologists led by Dr. Christian de Muizon (Christian de Muizon), director of the Natural History Museum in Paris (Natural History Museum in Paris).
The expedition also included paleontologists Olivier Lambert from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, Giovanni di Bianucci from the University of Pisa in Italy, Rodolfo Salas -Gismondi (Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi) and Mario Urbina from the Natural History Museum of the National University of San Marcos (Lima, Peru) (Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima) and Gilles Reumer from Museum of Natural History of Rotterdam (Rotterdam Natural History Museum).
The fossil was placed in the collection of the Natural History Museum in Lima, Peru.
The researchers, as pioneers, named the species of sperm whales, newly described by them, Leviathan melvillei:
- the first component of the name is the mythological monster Leviathan, mentioned in the Old Testament;
- the second part is given in honor of Herman Melville, author of the novel about the white whale "Moby Dick".
According to the reconstruction carried out by scientists, Leviathan melvillei had a jaw length of three meters, and from the tip of the muzzle to the tail was 16-18 meters.
The most amazing feature of this animal is its huge teeth up to 30 centimeters long and up to 12 centimeters wide. These are the largest teeth that any of the terrestrial predatory animals possessed.
Absolute record holder teeth
Of modern predators, only sperm whales, reaching 20 meters in length, can compare in size with L. melvillei. However, the modern sperm whale has functional teeth only on the lower jaw (on the upper one there are practically no protruding rudimentary teeth), and in the ancient leviathan sperm whale both the lower and upper jaw developed equally. The presence of teeth both above and below suggests a predatory hunting strategy: probably Leviathan melvillei attacked its victim, grabbed with powerful jaws and tore it apart with giant teeth.
Analyzing the details of the skull, and due to the fact that the jaws of the found animal were equipped with large powerful muscles, scientists suggest that Leviathan melvillei could easily deal with whales up to 7-10 meters long.
At the same time and in the same waters, along with Leviathan melvillei, another monster lived - Carcharocles megalodon - a giant shark, reaching 15 meters in. Whether these giants of the predatory world could compete or enter into battles is still unknown to scientists, since there are no facts indicating the meeting of these monsters.
In addition, scientists have to answer the question about the reasons for the disproportionate torso of the animal. This will make it possible to study the skeleton of a prehistoric sperm whale.
Initially, it was believed that the large head allows these marine mammals to dive to considerable depths in search of food. But the latest findings refute this theory, since the animals that were hunted by the giant hunters lived in the upper layers of the ocean.
Based on the size of the skull, the researchers argue that the ancient monster whale had a large spermaceti organs, the purpose of which among modern sperm whales is not unanimous.
By modern ideas This large cavity in the forehead, filled with a waxy substance - spermaceti, helps the whale in several tasks:
- the first (controversial) is the facilitation of diving and ascent due to a sequential change in the density of this substance. It hardens and contracts on contact with cold water and melts from the heat of the blood;
- this cavity, apparently, plays some role in echolocation;
- a large head can serve as a shock weapon in the struggle of males for a female.
Maybe she helped the Leviathan in attacking the prey as well. Such a ram could damage the victim no less than the subsequent capture with strong jaws. At least two 19th century whaling ships were sunk after being hit on the side of the massive head of large male sperm whales. Such cases later formed the basis of the plot of the novel "Moby Dick".
Since the "Leviathan" did not dive deeply after its victims, but preferred to feed near the surface of the sea, it did not need "help in diving".
From this it may follow that such a large organ in the course of the evolution of whales appeared precisely as a sonar and a ram, and long before sperm whales began to make their stunning dives to great depths.
Scientists still cannot answer the question of what led to the extinction Leviathan melvillei, but suggest that changes in environment(cooling), as well as in the number and size of available prey.
Lambert is sure: Leviathan melvillei is the largest sperm whale known to science. His descendants grinded, lost their teeth, and instead of actively hunting mammals, they switched to absorbing mollusks such as squid.
Sperm whales, which feed on deep-sea squid today, are much less vulnerable to climate change than active predators living near the surface of the water. Modern sperm whales specialize in a completely different food niche: they are excellent divers hunting deep-sea squid. And the teeth of sperm whales for capturing squid are not particularly needed.
This was not at all the case with Leviathan melvillei, he knew perfectly well how to use such an impressive weapon. Well, millions of years after the disappearance of the monster, the vacant niche of an aggressive predator was filled by “killer whales” - killer whales, significantly inferior to the “Leviathan” in size, but using similar hunting tactics.
And two more important finds recent years concerning the evolution of whales.
Last year, the remains of two whales of the Archaeoceti group of the species Maiacetus inuus, about 48 million years old, were found in Pakistan. Analysis of the fossilized skeletons of a male and a pregnant female showed that female primitive whales gave birth on the ground. In addition, their find provided new data to determine how the whales migrated from land to water. Scientists believe that the first land creatures appeared in the Devonian - about 360-380 million years ago. After 300 million years, some species of mammals decided to return to the water. Their paws began to turn back into fins. The Pakistani find showed an important link in the evolution of whales. The presence of teeth in the fetus suggests that newborn whales of this species were not completely helpless in their first years of life.
In 2007, a group of American scientists found that the ancestors of modern whales were deer-like creatures without horns and smaller in size. New evidence suggests that the ancestors of whales were artiodactyls, which lived in South Asia about 50 million years ago and hid in the water when danger approached. Previously, it was assumed that the closest relatives of marine mammals are hippos.
