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Quiz about Ice Age Giants
Quiz about Ice Age Giants

Ice Age Giants Trivia Quiz


The last Ice Age, or Pleistocene era, began around 1.8 million years ago and ended 12,000 years in the past. Let's meet some of the huge creatures that inhabited the earth during that time period!

A multiple-choice quiz by stephgm67. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
stephgm67
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
386,278
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
225
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 95 (7/10), Guest 209 (3/10), Guest 146 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Megatherium weighed in at over five tons and, when it stood on its hind legs, reached over twelve feet tall. Because of its size, this giant could not climb trees and rest like its slow-moving descendant. What was another name for this leaf-eating mammal? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Glyptodon, which means "carved tooth" in Greek, was a huge mammal with a distinctive armored dome. This herbivore weighed a full ton and could grow to be ten feet long. Which of its modern day cousins does it resemble? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The largest of the saber toothed cats was five feet long, three feet tall, and weighed almost 400 pounds. Boasting twelve inch long canine teeth, this predator stalked the Ice Age grasslands where it sprang upon its prey. What is the genus name of this animal? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Not all Ice Age giants were mammals! Teratornis was between 35 and 50 pounds and was a large scavenger and hunter of the time. It was the biggest of its kind and many of its fossils have been found in La Brea tar pits in California. What animal class was it? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Wooly mammoths roamed across the continents during the Ice Age. They sported hair about three feet long and enormous tusks that grew up to five feet in length. True or False: These giant creatures were actually the same size as today's modern elephant.


Question 6 of 10
6. Castoroides, also known as the giant beaver, was around 200 pounds heavy and was eight feet long. It had many similarities to its cousin, today's modern beaver. Which of these did it NOT have in common, however? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Megaloceros giganteus was one of the largest deer ever identified. It was almost seven feet tall, weighed close to 1,500 pounds, and had a huge set of antlers that stretched an impressive twelve feet across. It roamed the grasslands across Europe and Asia during the Ice Age. What was another name for this giant? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The giant short-faced bear, or Arctodus simus, weighed 1,500 pounds and was twelve feet tall when it reared up on its hind legs. It had a short face with a broad muzzle which gave it the nickname "bulldog bear". What was distinctive about this omnivore's feet? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The American lion was a formidable predator during the Ice Age. It was eight feet long and four feet tall and weighed an average of 600 pounds. A carnivore, it hunted its prey across the tundra. True or False: The adult American lion male had a full mane to differentiate him from the female.


Question 10 of 10
10. The Syrian camel, known as Camelus "moreli", was twice the size of modern camels and stood almost twelve feet high. Its fossil was discovered in 2005 in Syria and was shocking as scientists believed camels only existed back 10,000 years and not during the Ice Age. What was the habitat like in Syria when the camel lived there 100,000 years ago? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Megatherium weighed in at over five tons and, when it stood on its hind legs, reached over twelve feet tall. Because of its size, this giant could not climb trees and rest like its slow-moving descendant. What was another name for this leaf-eating mammal?

Answer: Giant ground sloth

The ground sloth walked on four legs and was roughly the size of today's elephant. However, to reach the leaves on trees, which formed the majority of its diet, it stood on its two hind legs and used its tail for support. Its large paws and claws were used for gathering the leaves, fending off attackers, and digging for plants. Fossils of this animal have been found in the Americas where they evolved in South America and migrated north over the years.

Some of the fossils show scars on the bones of these animals making scientists wonder if they were a food source for Homo sapiens.
2. Glyptodon, which means "carved tooth" in Greek, was a huge mammal with a distinctive armored dome. This herbivore weighed a full ton and could grow to be ten feet long. Which of its modern day cousins does it resemble?

Answer: Armadillo

Glyptodon began its evolution in South America over two million years ago. They were covered with a series of bony scales that each was an inch think. Over 1,000 of these scales created an armored covering that the animal could tuck into for protection against enemies.

They had an armored tail and thick, muscular legs to support all the weight. The strong jaws they had helped them eat some of the tougher plants of the area. Their major predator, Homo sapiens, hunted them not only for their meat in the underbelly but utilized the hard, large covering as shelter.
3. The largest of the saber toothed cats was five feet long, three feet tall, and weighed almost 400 pounds. Boasting twelve inch long canine teeth, this predator stalked the Ice Age grasslands where it sprang upon its prey. What is the genus name of this animal?

Answer: Smilodon

Smilodon, although called a saber toothed tiger, is actually more closely related to today's lion or cheetah. It was not a fast runner but had extremely powerful front legs that allowed it to swiftly pounce or to leap from low hanging tree branches. It could open its mouth an amazing 120 degrees wide to accommodate its huge, razor sharp canines with which it pierced its prey or scavenged on tough carcasses. Fossils of these extinct hunters have been found in tar pits across North America and have allowed scientists to gain better understanding of life in the Ice Age.
4. Not all Ice Age giants were mammals! Teratornis was between 35 and 50 pounds and was a large scavenger and hunter of the time. It was the biggest of its kind and many of its fossils have been found in La Brea tar pits in California. What animal class was it?

Answer: Bird

Teratornis was the largest known flying bird. It had a ten foot wingspan as it soared through the South American skies. It was built similarly to the modern condor or vulture. Although it probably feasted on dead animals, it also used its large beak and claws to scoop up and eat smaller live prey.

Its large size makes scientists believe that it started flight from the mountains and floated on wind currents to begin its journey to find food.
5. Wooly mammoths roamed across the continents during the Ice Age. They sported hair about three feet long and enormous tusks that grew up to five feet in length. True or False: These giant creatures were actually the same size as today's modern elephant.

Answer: True

The wooly mammoth, or Mammuthus primigenius, is sometimes thought of as being bigger than today's average elephant but it was actually similar in size. It stood about 13 feet tall and weighed around six tons. It boasted long hair to help withstand the cold and very long tusks which it used to both fight and to dig under the snow for the plants it ate.

Its main predator during its life was the vicious saber tooth cat. The wooly mammoth went extinct but, due to the permafrost in much of its environment, it left behind almost fully intact fossils and corpses for scientists to study.
6. Castoroides, also known as the giant beaver, was around 200 pounds heavy and was eight feet long. It had many similarities to its cousin, today's modern beaver. Which of these did it NOT have in common, however?

Answer: Wide tail

Castoroides is the largest rodent known to have lived in the Americas. During the Ice Age, this herbivore lived around water sources and ate mainly aquatic plants. Its fossils show that it had large hind feet to help propel it through the water, a flat but narrow tail, and big incisors.

However, these teeth are shaped differently than modern beavers and prove that it ate softer plants and probably did not cut wood and build dams. As the climate changes occurred toward the end of the Ice Age and impacted its habitat, the Castoroide became extinct before some of its fellow Ice Age animals.
7. Megaloceros giganteus was one of the largest deer ever identified. It was almost seven feet tall, weighed close to 1,500 pounds, and had a huge set of antlers that stretched an impressive twelve feet across. It roamed the grasslands across Europe and Asia during the Ice Age. What was another name for this giant?

Answer: Irish elk

Although it was called an Irish elk, it was actually of the deer family. Many of its fossils have been found in peat bogs in Ireland which helped attribute that part of its name. An herbivore, it ate grasses, tree leaves, and small plants. The males' unique characteristic were the huge, ornate antlers that were used to attract females and to fight opposing males.

Many theories exist as to the cause of this huge deer's extinction. Some studies say the size of the massive antlers became too much of a hindrance, while other scientists claim the climate change to the vegetation made the deer starve, and finally other groups claim they were hunted by predators such as Homo sapiens.
8. The giant short-faced bear, or Arctodus simus, weighed 1,500 pounds and was twelve feet tall when it reared up on its hind legs. It had a short face with a broad muzzle which gave it the nickname "bulldog bear". What was distinctive about this omnivore's feet?

Answer: Its toes pointed forward

The short-faced bear had toes that pointed forward, as opposed to modern bears whose toes point inward. This enabled it to walk with a smooth gait and to potentially have speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It lived in the grasslands across much of the western areas of North America and fossils have been found in caves, leading scientists to conjecture that it had dens like today's bears. An omnivore, it hunted prey but also ate plants and insects in the area.

As the end of the Ice Age introduced competing predators, such as humans and brown bears, the giant short-faced bear became extinct as it starved.
9. The American lion was a formidable predator during the Ice Age. It was eight feet long and four feet tall and weighed an average of 600 pounds. A carnivore, it hunted its prey across the tundra. True or False: The adult American lion male had a full mane to differentiate him from the female.

Answer: False

The American lion, or Panthera atrox, looked very similar to today's African lion except for its large size and lack of any mane on either males or females. They stalked their prey, such as bison or young mammoths, and their long legs enabled them to be excellent runners in the chase.

This huge cat had razor sharp claws which were also retractable. It could utilize a bite force twice the strength of today's African lions! As other predators, such as Homo sapiens, began to hunt the American lion's prey this giant cat slowly became extinct toward the end of the Ice Age.
10. The Syrian camel, known as Camelus "moreli", was twice the size of modern camels and stood almost twelve feet high. Its fossil was discovered in 2005 in Syria and was shocking as scientists believed camels only existed back 10,000 years and not during the Ice Age. What was the habitat like in Syria when the camel lived there 100,000 years ago?

Answer: Savanna grassland

The Syrian camel lived in the Syrian area 90,000 years earlier than was originally thought. At the time, the land would have been savanna grasslands with multiple fresh water springs. The camel had a single hump and measured nine feet tall at its shoulder and an impressive twelve feet tall to its head. Found with human bones as well, it is believed that the Syrian camel was a food source for humans who hunted it while it came to drink at the springs.
Source: Author stephgm67

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