Talk:Megafauna/archive

Removed text "Really big plants". (!) Don't bother deleting the empty page, I'll write something to go here tonight. Tannin 22:37 Dec 29, 2002 (UTC)

---

I know this whole capitalization of species names thing has raged on the mailing list, but this just looks wrong:

the Giant Panda, the Red Wolf, the Blue Whale or the Koala.

-- Tarquin 08:16 2 Jun 2003 (UTC)

It is, however, correct, Tarquin. First and formost, we aim to be correct. Tannin 08:19 2 Jun 2003 (UTC)

Yes, but surely "Koala" is wrong; after all, we write "human". I think both parties are partially correct in this debate, and I'd like to see it cleaned up without this present over-extension in both cases. I've just spent some time going through David Attenborough's Life on Earth. He writes: "the argus pheasant", "elephant fish" but "the King of Saxony Bird", "the Nile crocodile". I think the rules for capitalization are more complex than we think -- Tarquin 08:28 2 Jun 2003 (UTC)

Koala is an exact one-to-one synonym for Phascolarctus cinereus: it's a formal species name and as such should always be capitalised except in light popular work (such as newspaper articles or fiction) or when we are talking about 2 or more different koalas - which is impossible if we are speaking of living species, because there is only one.

However, it would be perfectly correct to write, say, there are fossils of five koala species in the limstone sediments at Riversleigh.

"Echidna", on the other hand, is wrong. Either we are talking about any of the three species of echidna, in which case we say "echidna", or we are talking about Tachyglossus aculeatus, in which case its name is "Short-beaked Echidna", or else maybe we mean Zaglossus attenboroughi, in which case we don't call it anything because it doesn't have a common name yet! Perhaps this newly discovered species will eventually come to be called "David Attenborough's Echidna", as that is who it was named after. More likely though, it will be something like "Highland Echidna" or "Highland Long-beaked Echidna". Tannin

Introduction of Megafauna into the NA continent

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4160560.stm

I think they should start with the regular animals that became extinct in the last few hundred years not animals that shouldn't be here along with humans. By having 'prehistoric' like beasts here Science Fiction authors warn it could margialize the environment by eliminating smaller animals.

Equus

There is a link to the equus that leads to a disambiguation page. The page has nothing about an animal called the equus.Alex Klotz 23:46, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Ohwilleke 00:12, 20 February 2007 (UTC) Equus is a non-English (Latin? Greek?) word for horse.

Dinosaurs?

Why aren't dinosaurs and other similar animals included? Under the given definition, they would all be megafauna. Or is the definition unclear in this respect? -Rosey

All the Megafauna in this article appear to actually be Pleistocene Megafauna (i.e. Megafauna that were around in that epoch). Perhaps this article should be re-named to Pleistocene Megafauna, so that Megafauna from other timeframes could be on the main Megafauna article, or perhaps we need a Megafauna article for each epoch? -- 63.226.38.196 16:07, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, wait, why arn't dinosaurs listed here? This article isn't Pleistocene specific...maybe it should be moved, then made to be so. Any objections? --mordicai. 20:50, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

I think this should state specifically it only lists Pleistocene megafauna, and then make a page that has a list of all megafauna seperately; in general, when people are referring to megafauna, they're referring to Pleistocene megafauna, but I think a list of all megafauna would be appropriate, if extremely long - for some bizzare reason there was a lot more of it back in the day. Titanium Dragon 06:36, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Confused list

This listing appears to be using all possible definitions of the term "megafauna" while showing no distinctions. Either that or there a bunch of over 1 ton birds out there. Perhaps the list should be split along definitional lines. Rmhermen 16:00, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Good eyes. While the Cassowary IS pretty big, it doesn't really meat the criteria for megafauna. I'd say that a heavy editing hand should be shown; why bother re-listing if the other definitions are not accepted? --mordicai. 20:50, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Okay, now things are definately verging on goofy, with the inclusion of things like the Bald Eagle. A big bird, sure, but not what I would think of as megafauna-- males weigh only 9 pounds. --mordicai. 15:32, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

Also the Secretary Bird. Big as far as birds go, but not exactly megafauna. -- T.o.n.y 18:34, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I keep meaning to come over here when I have some time & delete everything not over a metric ton, but I've been swamped.--mordicai. 05:49, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Many authors have throughout the primary literature defined megafauna as any animal over 44 kg in body weight. This definition appears to be most common, although clearly other definitions exist. Please do not remove species from this list until the definition of megafauna has been clarified and properly referenced, as all of these species may fall into one or more of these categories. I will find the time to do this soon, as I have a long list of references too add to this topic. Also we need make a clearer distinction between Pleistocene megafauna and the extant megafauna of today.--Tug201 09:44, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I certainly think you are right; the first step should be to define the term, especially since the article currently has 500 kg listed as the lowest cut-off. A good solid reference would be a gem, certainly. I'm glad to know that someone is on the case. --mordicai. 15:40, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

Don't even need to stop at birds. The jackal, hyena, and border collie are in here, so it must be using a really low definition. PolarisSLBM 12:44, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Whatever the lower limit, there are a good few animals that don't belong by any reasonable standard, tarantula being the most silly example. It also makes little sense to list individual breeds of dog unless you are also going to list individual breeds of cattle, pigs, sheep and so on. It is really time to take some editorial control here and get the list to a manageable size.

I would suggest that rather than listing animals by geography they would be better divided into two groups - extinct and present-day - and then listed taxonomically without unnecessary detail unless a particular animal is particularly notable in some relevant way. This will save everyone the trouble of endlessly debating exactly which breeds of poodle qualify as megafauna under which scientists' definition. It will make the list much more readable.

For instance

• Carnivores
  • Canidae: wolves, most wild dogs and many breeds of domestic dog.
  • Bears
  • Big cats

or whatever.

But one thing is certain, two or three editors really need to take charge here and weed the list ruthlessly of anything that is insignificant or which doesn't belong. Ireneshusband 08:59, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Listing Tarantula in Megafauna is confusing. They are under a pound and equally important don't fit the definition of megafauna outside weight areas because they don't have the long life, small number of offspring, etc. associated with the category. Also, classifying them as domesticated overstates the case. While they are kept in captivity for human amusement, so are almost all animals to some degree -- by that reasoning guppies are also domesticated megafauna. Ohwilleke 20:24, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Charismatic Megafauna?

Smells like POV to me. I'd like to see some reference for this, as this doesnt seem to be an encyclopedical piece of text. Arctic-Editor 21:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

http://www.wildlifeworks.com/prod/product325.html has the text - so either the editor plagiarised from this web page - or the business plagiarised from the same place that the editor did SatuSuro 05:36, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Yech. Well, I think a plagarism is enough reason alone to remove it for now. I do think the subject has a place in this article, but as Arctic-Editor says, it is a little too much OR. Ideally I'd like a reputable source saying these things, & the article couching the statement with appropriate terms ("Some think...") --mordicai. 01:56, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

If quoted from reasonable academic sources - with no obvious conservationist bashing pov sources - adequately cited - I would be prepared to accept an argument if placed with reasonable consideration of more than one way of looking at the subject SatuSuro 03:19, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm familiar with this term. The first time I heard it was last year in an radio interview with a zoo-keeper regarding problems with the transportation of elephants from Thailand to Australia. Sure, it needs a reference, as does most of the text on Wikipedia. But it ain't POV. Hesperian 05:07, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

If this is useful, the phrase "Charismatic Megafauna" appears on page 216 of the following: Mullin, M. H. (1999). Mirrors and Windows: Sociocultural Studies of Human-Animal Relationships. Annual Review of Anthropology, 28, 201-224. 80.68.55.98 16:35, 8 January 2007 (UTC)Sarah - (tinderbox49@hotmail.com)

Uh, I was searching "charismatic megafauna" and was redirected to this article, which doesn't even mention the term. If "charismatic megafauna" is going to redirect here, I think the article needs to at least define what is meant by that term. (BTW, can someone tell me? Does anyone know who originated the term? Thanks!)

Changes

There should be some limitations to what is exepted here or they should be categorized differently e.g. in timescale if you want to include both arsinoitherium and bush elephant in the same category. I think what people want to learn is the megafauna of pleistocene and there might be a good idea to make a page of it's own for that and let this page just be an explanation what is meant with the word megafauna. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 194.240.122.87 (talk) 21:23, 8 January 2007 (UTC).

Dogs

Many of the listings for domesticated megafauna are different breeds of a single species, the domestic dog. Shouldn't these be replaced by a single listing for "dog" with the breed information put under a dog or dog breed entry? This would simplify the list and would also far more dramatically show the limited number of domestic megafauna species. It also makes it easier to see if any domestic megafauna have been omitted? Ohwilleke 20:09, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Done. If someone thinks it was inappropriate, please discuss why here before reverting it. Ohwilleke 20:20, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

With the definition of megafauna as any animal over 500 pounds, why are dogs and other small animals included on this list?

Clean-up

• As per the definition provided in the introduction, I have removed any animal listed that weighed under 500 lbs (227 kg). I checked the Wikipedia pages for the animals and, for those who did not have a weight listed on their page, I checked a reliable source (Usually fact sheets on zoo websites).
• I moved the gharial/gavial for, as far as I could see (From multiple sources, including Wikipedia) it is found only on the Indian subcontinent and not Australia. Saltwater crocodile was added to Africa and Eurasia. Moose was added to Eurasia. Palorchestes and Procoptodon were added to Australia. Smilodon was removed from North America due to Saber-toothed cat already being listed (I did clear up saber-toothed cat though, as most species seemed to have maxed out at 400 lbs.The exception is listed.) Phoberomys pattersoni was added to South America. Added Giant and Goliath groupers to Ocean megafauna. Removed Jewfish because all of the megafauna species that the term encompasses are now in the article.
• Something I came across while editing was that the link to the Sitka, directed me towards Alaska. The Sitka deer was the animal that I believe was intended, but if not, feel free to place it (With the correct link) back into the article.
• As for certain further edits, what exactled constitutes island megafauna? Saltwater crocodiles are known to inhabit the Seychelles and Indonesia, for example. Also, why are Central American megafauna listed with South American megafauna if Central America is part of North America? As for many of these extinct megafauna, how do we know the weight? Some may very well not have been megafauna at all (Particularly, many American species). What is to be done about their listing? For megafauna which exist in large populations, on preserves for example, in other regions, should they be listed as so? For examples, 10,000 banteng are found in Northern Australia.
• I converted each section into a header and alphabetized the headers. I have also alphabetized the lists. --Scorpios 02:29, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

User 125.164.174.18 added Ostrich back into the article. Here is a quote, taken from the Wikipedia entry for ostrich, "Ostriches usually weigh from 90 to 130 kg (200 to 285 pounds), although some male ostriches have been recorded with weights of up to 155 kg (340 pounds)." While this is fairly impressive, it does fall 160 lbs. short of the megafauna requirement. I have removed it accordingly. --Scorpios 21:31, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Humans have many times weighed over 500 lbs. How should I add them? --Scorpios 01:30, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Humans should not be added. As far as I know, every case of a human weighing over 500 pounds is either a case of pituitary gigantism or extreme obesity. I know of no healthy adults that have weighed even 400 pounds. Even gigantic athletes like Phil Pfister (the "World's Strongest Man") are well under 400 pounds. (Note that while Pfister is technically obese according to body mass index, he is close to the normal range by measures such as body fat percentage.)

Every species listed here currently qualifies as a result of recorded weights of healthy adult specimens. I don't think unhealthy exceptions qualify humans as megafauna. - Atarr 20:11, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

"Megafauna are generally defined as animals that weigh over 500 kg to 1 tonne, i.e., any animal larger than the largest widespread domestic animal, the domestic bull." First off, we need to remove that mention of bulls. Secondly, the article fails to make mention of there being a requirement of being a healthy, non-obese, non-pituatry specimen. I think we should at least clear up that matter, adding a note to say so at the tp of the page. I think that if we do so though, we're going to have to go through almost every single species again, just to make sure the specimens cited were normal, healthy adults. --Scorpios 14:34, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree, there's no mention of the exceptional size deriving from a healthy specimen. However, as far as I know, the only species this is an issue for is humans. There are some other cases of animals in captivity attaining unnatural weights, but I don't know of any where this trips the 500 pound barrier. Moreover, and this is my broader point - we should judge animals by what sizes they attain in the wild. That includes humans - and almost no humans currently live in a wild state. (Exceptions such as the Kalahari bushmen do exist.) - Atarr 21:39, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Unrelated cleanup subject: what do we mean by "geologically recent times"? I think we should mean the Quaternary period, which means some of the included listings (such as Phoberomys pattersoni) should be removed. - Atarr 21:56, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

I put in a note about it meaning the Quaternary. Unless there are objections, I'm going to go through and eliminate the pre-quarternary animals. - Atarr 16:44, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Questionable Megafauna

What are the thoughts on an article for questionable megafauna, such as the seven-armed octopus? Specimens which have been reported (Somewhat reputably, no urban legends and such) as breaking 227 kg, but cannot be confirmed as so. It would consist of an short paragraph explaining what the seciton was, followed by a list. Thoughts? --Scorpios 02:35, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

I'd be OK with that, I suppose, as long as we were clear that these were non-confirmed species. Off the top of my head, we'd include the North Pacific Giant Octopus, the Seven-arm Octopus, and, as a recent poster tried to add, the Boar. Probably some snakes too. - Atarr 21:54, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

I was that recent poster who added Boar. It says, on the Wiki page for the boar, "European adult males can be up to 200 kg (sometimes up to 300 kg in certain areas, particularly Eastern Europe)." Apparently I did misread it, my mind omitted the first instance of European. Still, this shows that the boar is megafauna. The boar also is found in every single one of these regions, excluding Arctic and Ocean. Thoughts? --Scorpios 00:58, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Earlier in the same article we have "440 lb (200 kg) (with unverified reports of heavier individuals)". It's inconsistent within the article. If we have a reliable reference that shows a boar was weighed and found to be over 500 pounds, and we can add it in the main section. Until then, it belongs in the "cryptomegafauna" class.

That said, domestic pigs do crack 500 pounds, and feral hogs can crossbreed with boars, as is suspected to have been the case with Hogzilla. Then again, crosbreeds aren't technically distinct species. (Should we mention the liger?) - Atarr 05:02, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't think so. Until they are shown to be a distinct species, they don't belong. --Scorpios 00:40, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Merge "giant animal" here

Giant animal contains little to nothing that this article lacks, as far as I can tell. Thoughts? - Atarr 06:48, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I made some comments on the Giant animal talk page.

I've gone through and cross-checked everything on the Giant Animal page with this page and included all the appropriate species. I think the Giant Animal page can just be changed into a redirect now. - Atarr 16:43, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Done. - Atarr 03:36, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

500+ lbs, or 500+ kg?

The list currently includes animals where adult specimens typically weigh over 500 pounds. The introduction says the cutoff is 500 kilograms, though. Which should we use? Is there a citation available on this? The only references I can find make the cutoff 100 pounds, which would lead to un unmanageably large list (i.e. not worth keeping). - Atarr 03:43, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

We've been using 500 lbs (227 kg) so far, I saw we continue with that. 500 kilos will make an extremely short list. --Scorpios 04:31, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me, but then we should revise the introduction and, if at all possible, provide some source that supports this choice. - Atarr 14:24, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

A few animals on the list do not reach 500 lbs, like the panda and the Komodo Dragon. I'll go ahead and remove them for now. PenguinJockey 02:30, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Gomphothere

I've been away from the Wiki for awhile, so I don't know what this is about removing pre-Quaternary megafauna, but the Wiki page for the Gomphothere places it as surviving into the Quaternary, living for another 200,000 years after the period began. Shouldn't it be in the article? Also, why are we no longer allowing pre-Quaternary megafauna? --Scorpios 04:26, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

The only Gomphothere mentioned as living into the Quanternary is Cuvieronius, which we mention seperately. If there are others, then by all means, put Gomphothere back in.

The introduction mentioned "geologically recent times". I asked what we wanted this to mean in an above section a while back. I suggested the Quanternary period. I wikilinked the "geologically recent times" line to mean this. I suggested removing the pre-Quanternary animals, and finally did that.

I'm not attached to the Quanternary as a cutoff, although I think going all the way back to the K-T extinction would be too far. If you prefer another cutoff, let's discuss it. We should have some cutoff, is all. - Atarr 14:23, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Alright, sounds good. If we do want to go back farther, we might want to change some sections. I.e. We'll have ==Period== and ===Continent===. I think we should make some mention of dinosaurs though, they did after all inhabit this planet for quite some time. Not list them all of course, just make a note somewhere that most ancient creatures (Pre and during the dinosaurs) were megafauna. Unfortunately, now is time for me to go. I'll make it tomorrow (Or discuss further if need be). If you agree and get there first, feel free to add it in. --Scorpios 02:00, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

Seems reasonable, although it could get unwieldy. Everything we have right now becomes Quaternary Megafauna. If you want to add other sections for earlier species, that's OK with me. It becomes progressively harder to accurately catalog all the species as we go back beyond that, though. Also there's the question of how tightly to subdivide things. I suppose we could just have a section for all Cenozoic megafauna that died before the Quaternary. If you go any earlier than that, breaking it down by continent makes little sense since the continents were radically different, so no ===Continent=== dividers are needed. - Atarr 20:39, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

From Giant Animal

You said your finished with collecting things from Giant Animal but here is the list just in case. There are lots of Latin names here and size details here you might want to integrate to Megafauna still. Goldenrowley 02:04, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Living animals

• Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus): Large specimens are estimated to weigh at least 200 tonnes and are up to 33 m.
• Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus): The biggest whales of this species have exceeded 21 m, at which size they are estimated to weigh 138 tonnes.
• Pacific Northern Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica): The largest known specimen of this biggest type of right whale was 21.2 m and weighed about 135 tonnes.
• Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus): In terms of length, this is the second biggest vertebrate. The top size is 27 m and top weight is 118 tonnes.
• Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis): The maximum known size of this species is 19.6 m and about 90 tonnes.
• Atlantic Northern Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis): The right whales of the North Atlantic are generally smaller, not exceeding 20 m) and about 90 tonnes.
• Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus): the largest scientifically measured specimen was about 18.7 m and estimated to weigh 70 tonnes, but skull fragments and 19th century reports strongly indicate that this species at one time could grow to more than 24 m long and weigh over 80 tonnes.
• Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae): This species top accurately measured size is 16 m and a weight of just over 45 tonnes, but in the 19th century reports give them a size of up to 19.5 m and 68 tonnes.
• Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis): This is a large but slender rorqual, at a top size of 21 m and top weight of 45 tonnes.
• Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera brydei): The largest size of this rorqual, one of the smaller species, is 16.6 m long and 36 tonnes.
• Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus): Although still very large, this is small for a baleen whale, at a top size of 15 m long and 36 tonnes.
• Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus): This is the largest of all fish, named "whale" due to its dimensions. The largest verified size is 13.6 m long and 20 tonnes, but other reports indicate possible sizes of up to 17.8 m long and 37 tonnes.
• Pygmy Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni): Some recent texts indicate that this is a distinct species, although traditionally it is considered a small form of the Bryde's Whale. The top size of this creature is about 13 m long and 16 tonnes.
• Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus): Second only to the Whale Shark, suspicuous reports give this a size of up to 15 m. However, the largest accurately measured fish was 12.4 m long and 16 tonnes.
• Giant Beaked Whale (Berardius bairdii): This is the largest species of beaked whale. The maximum known size is 12.7 m long and 13.6 tonnes.
• Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata): This was until recently considered the smallest baleen whale, at a top size of 10.3 m long and 12.7 tonnes.
• African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana): This is the largest land animal in existence. The largest known specimen was 4.2 m tall and 10.9 tonnes.
• Arnoux’s Beaked Whale (Berardius arnuxii): This species is like a smaller, southern version of the Baird's Beaked Whale. Its maximum size is believed to be about 9.8 m long and 11 tonnes.
• Killer Whale (Orcinus orca): Despite its name, this is actually the largest species of dolphin. The largest known specimen was just short of 10 m long and weighed 10 tonnes.
• Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis): Most authorities now consider this to be a separate species from the Minke Whale. The porportions are similar to an average Minke, at up to 9.5 m long and 9 tonnes.
• Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus): Probably the best known of all beaked whales, this is also one of the largest. The top size is 9.5 m long and at least 8 tonnes.
• Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus): This species usually scales smaller than the African Bush Elephant. The largest measured specimen was 7.2 m long, 3.4 m tall and weighed approximately 8 tonnes.
• Shepherd's Beaked Whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi): Known basically only from washing up shorelines, this big beaked whale has been measured up to 7.2 m long and is estimated to weigh up to 6.5 tonnes.
• Southern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon planifrons): This southern species is less known, but is not thought to reach sizes as large as its northern counterpart. The top known length is 7.8 m long and the top weigh is estimated at 6.3 tonnes.
• African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis): An exceptional specimen of this (now separated) species was 6 m long, 3 m tall and 6 tonnes. This animal was about twice the weight of most known forest elephants.
• Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina): This species is well-named, due to the exceptional large size of the male of the species. The largest individual was 6.3 m long and weighed 5 tonnes.
• Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris): One of the few beaked whales that can be conspicuous, the top size is about 7.5 m long and at least 4.5 tonnes.
• White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum): This and the following species vie for the title of largest land animal after the elephants. The largest species was 4.6 m long, 2 m tall and weighed about 4.5 tonnes.
• Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius): Exceptional males are about the same size as a White Rhinoceros, at up to 4.8 m long, 1.66 m tall and about 4.5 tonnes.
• Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus): This is a common and huge dolphin. The maximum size is believed to be about 7 m and 4 tonnes.
• Pygmy Right Whale (Caperea marginata): This species is now recognized as the smallest baleen whale on earth. The maximum known size is 6.5 m long and 4 tonnes.
• Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris): Usually bulls of this species scale smaller than the Southern Elephant Seal. However, enormous individuals can be up to nearly 6 m long and 3.6 tonnes.
• Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis): This is the second largest Asian land animal, after the Asian Elephant. The record-sized specimen was nearly 3.8 m long, over 1.8 m tall and weighed about 3.5 tonnes.
• Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas): This very large kind of dolphin, about the same size as the Short-finned species, can attain a size of up to 6.5 m and 3.5 tonnes.
• Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias): Much speculation has surrounded of the maximum size of this giant shark, for a long time the top size of the species was thought to be 11 m, but no specimen over 7 m has ever been verified. The heaviest known fish was a 6.5 m long specimen weighing 3.3 tonnes.
• Strap-toothed Whale (Mesoplodon layardii): The is the largest of the numerous Mesoplodon. This species can grow to be at least 7 m long and 3 tonnes.
• Manta Ray (Manta birostris): The largest known specimen of this was 7.5 m across its disc, about 5 m long and weighed about 3 tonnes.
• Giant squid (Architeuthis dux): This is the largest of all known invertebrates. The largest specimen had a mantle of 6.1 m long and a tentacle length of 10.7 m, and was estimated at between 2.2 to 2.5 tonnes. The adult Colossal Squid is thought to grow even larger, but this has not been confirmed.
• Large-tooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti): The sawfish are little known, in spite of huge sizes. A single record exists of a 2.4 tonne fish, at which weight the length must be nearly 9 m.
• Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola): This is the heaviest of all the bony fish. The largest example of this species was 4.5 m across the fins, 3.5 m long and weighed 2.3 tonnes.
• Moose (Alces alces): This heaviest deer, the gigantic large elk species was 2.5 m long and weighed 2.3 tonnes.
• Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus): This species of rhino can attain a size of up to 3.2 m long, 1.8 m tall and a weight of about 2.3 tonnes.
• Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso): This extraordinary fish has been recorded at up to 7.8 m long and weighed approximately 2.1 tonnes.
• Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus): This is the largest crocodile and the largest reptile. The largest recorded specimen was 8.6 m long and weighed 2 tonnes.
• Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas): The largest size that the "white whale" can attain is 6 m and 2 tonnes.
• Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens): This species is large for a Mesoplodon beaked whale. A big example was 5.3 m long and weighed 2 tonnes.
• Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis): This is the tallest land animal on earth. The maximum size that this species can attain is 5.8 m in height and 1.9 tonnes in weight.
• Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus): The top size of this huge creature is about 3.6 m and 1.9 tonnes.
• Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus): Usually, domestic cattle are smaller than wild Bos species, but they can sometimes be huge. The largest example was a Chianina bull over 2.1 m tall and weighing over 1.8 tonnes.
• Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis): This is the smallest African rhinoceros, but it is still extremely large. An exceptional male measured 3.6 m long, 1.8 m tall and 1.8 tonnes.
• Narwhal (Monodon monoceros): The maximum size of this whale is 5.4 m long, with the tusk comprising an additional 3 m, and a weight of 1.8 tonnes).
• West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus): This is now probably the largest remaining member of its order. Exceptionally, this species can attain a size of 1.6 tonnes and nearly 4.5 m long.
• Andrews' Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bowdoini): The length measurements estimated for the top size of this species are not particularly large, at up to 5 m long, but this is very bulky for a beaked whale and can scale up to 1.5 tonnes.
• Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata): This species can reach a length of 7.6 m, at which length they probably weigh up to 1.6 tonnes.
• Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier): These predatory fish have been confirmed up to 5.4 m and 1.5 tonnes, but there is a possibility that this species can exceed 6.5 m.
• Gray's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon grayi): Although it usually scales smaller than most beaked whales, exceptionally large specimens have been recorded. The maximum size is 5.7 m and 1.5 tonnes.
• Domestic Horse (Equus caballus): Horses are descended from the largest known species of wild horse. The largest recorded size for this species was a Shire over 2.1 m tall that weighed about 1.5 tonnes.
• Hubbs' Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon carlhubbsi): This beaked whale can reach a length of 5.4 m and a weight of 1.5 tonnes.
• Stejneger's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon stejnegeri): The maximum known size of this whale is 5.4 m and 1.5 tonnes.
• True's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon mirus): A large example of this species was measured at nearly 5.3 m and the weight was 1.4 tonnes.
• Longcomb sawfish (Pristis zijsron): These Australian sawfish can attain a size of as much 7.3 m and at least 1.4 tonnes.
• Spade Toothed Whale (Mesoplodon traversii): This beaked whale is only known from its skull. Based on the skull dimensions, this whale is up to 5.4 m long and weigh at least 1.4 tonnes.
• Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus): The top size of the huge Arctic sea fish is at least 6.4 m and 1.4 tonnes, although there is a strong possibility that this species can reach 7.2 m.
• Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus): These dangerous reptiles can attain large sizes. The largest specimen ever measured was 6.5 m long, and probably weigh about 1.4 tonnes.
• West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis): A big manatee of this species can measure to at least 4 m and 1.4 tonnes.
• Sowerby's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens): This medium-sized beaked whale can be almost 5.4 m long and can weigh up to 1.3 tonnes.
• Gaur (Bos frontalis): These are the largest living species of wild bovine. They can attain a length of over 3.3 m, a height of 2.2 m and a weight of 1.3 tonnes.
• Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus): The North Pacific's replacement for the Greenland Shark, this species is thought to attain a size of as much as 7 m, at which length they must weigh about 1.3 tonnes.
• Gervais' Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon europaeus): These smallish beaked whales are thought to grow to 5.2 m long and to weight at least 1.3 tonnes.
• American Bison (Bison bison): This is the largest surviving land animal in North America. Exceptionally large males can be 3.3 m long, 2 m tall and can weigh up to 1.2 tonnes.
• Water Buffalo (Bubalus arnee): The wild water buffalo is much larger than its domestic counterpart. The top known size is 3 m long, 1.9 m tall and a weight of 1.2 tonnes.
• Yak (Bos mutus): The Yak can be enormous in the wild, and is often twice the size of a domestic yak. Large bulls are up to 3.2 m long, 2 m tall and 1.2 tonnes.
• Perrin's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon perrini): This is the most-newly discovered beaked whale. It is not thought to grow very large, with an estimated top size of 4.5 m and about 1.1 tonnes.
• Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa): While extant wild pigs do not exceed 350 kg, domestic ones can grow to enormous porportions. One obese pig, whose belly touched the ground when it stood, was 2.7 m long and weighed 1.1 tonnes.
• Kaluga (Huso dauricus): This sturgeon replaces the Beluga sturgeon in the Amur river basin. It can grow nearly as large, at up to 5.6 m long and 1.1 tonnes.
• Brown Bear (Ursus arctos): Although very variable in size, the largest races of this bear compete for the title of the largest land carnivores. Apparently, exceptional giants have been over 3 m long, 1.7 m tall and 1.1 tonnes.
• Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus): These solid creatures are the largest species of sea lion. Large males can be up to 3.5 m long and weighed up to 1.1 tonnes.
• African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer): The wild cattle of Africa can be nearly 3 m long, 1.8 m tall and weigh 1.1 tonnes.
• Megamouth Shark (Megachasma pelagios): These fascinating, recently-discovered sharks are quite large, with the biggest one so far known being 4.8 m long and 1 tonne.
• Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis): This is the smallest living rhinoceros, although it is still a large animal. The maximum known size is 3.1 m long, 1.5 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Hector's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon hectori): This is one of the smallest beaked whales, at up to 4.3 m long and 1 tonne.
• Dugong (Dugong dugon): Dugongs are usually smaller than manatees, but exceptionally large ones can measure up to 4 m long and weigh up to 1 tonne.
• Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx): This ox-like herbivore is the largest living species of antelope. The maximum size is over 3 m long, 1.8 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus): These bears compete with larger races of Brown Bear for the title of largest living land carnivore. An exceptionally large male was just over 3 m long, 1.6 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Wisent (Bison bonasus): These bison are the largest living land animals in Europe. They are usually lankier and more slender than the American Bison, at up to 3 m long, 2 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus): These endangered creatures can be large. A large example can be up to 3.6 m long, 2.4 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris): This small beaked whale is up to 4.5 m long and 1 tonne.
• Giant Eland (Taurotragus derbianus): Although named the "Giant Eland", this bovid is actually no larger than the Common Eland. The top size is about 2.9 m long, 1.75 m tall and 1 tonne.
• Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius): The dromedary scales just barely smaller than Bactrian camel. The top size is 3.5 m long, 2 m tall and 0.9 tonne.
• Black Marlin (Makaira indica)- An enormous fish, this species competes for the title of the largest of the perch-like fish. The largest ones can be up to 5 m long and 0.9 tonne.
• Banteng (Bos javanicus): The bateng does not approach the dimensions of some other species, but can be quite bulky. They can range in size up to 2.2 m long, 1.6 m tall and 0.9 tonnes in weight.
• Atlantic Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans): This is the larger of the two blue marlins, at up to 5 m long and 0.9 tonnes.
• Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea): A sea turtle, this is easily the largest living species of turtle. The largest known example was almost 2.7 m long and weighed 0.9 tonne.
• Northern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus): This is the largest and most impressive species of tuna. Huge animals would be considered extraordinary recently, but in the past these tuna could be up to 4.2 m long and weigh up to 0.9 tonne.
• Kouprey (Bos sauveli): These solid wild cattle can range up to a size of 2.3 m long, 1.9 m tall and a weight to 0.9 tonne.

My Forthcoming Edits

There's been a rather large amount of editing recently. As of right now I'm going to revert the edits, pre-sorting. Then I'm going to go through and remove all of the crap (Cranes and such) that were added recently. Following these edits, I want to go thru and examine these sorting changes. As for sorting though, does anyone oppose such a measure? It sounds good to me. --Scorpios 02:25, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Verifiability

I'm removing the verifiability tag. I cleaned out the article long ago and since then it has been constantly patrolled by several users, particularly myself, Atarr, PenguinJockey and many anonymous users. I don't think that the tag is needed, now that we have constant watching and know that what is in there now is accurate. --Scorpios 20:46, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

Limit to human-based time span?

I notice a few discussions above about limiting this article to Pleistocene megafauna, but this doesn't seem to have been followed. I think limiting the list to a Pleistocene-Recent time frame, corresponding with the presence of modenr humans, is a pretty good approximation of what most people mean when they talk about megafauna, and will help keep things like dinosaurs off the list (or Chalicotherium, which is on the list right now, but at 30-40 million years old, is closer in time to T. rex than to humans!). Dinoguy2 08:53, 20 April 2007 (UTC)