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Real! Dead! Monsters! Trivia Quiz

Some of the scariest creatures ever are fact, not fiction. Fortunately these real monsters are now extinct, so there's nothing to worry about.

A multiple-choice quiz by jcpetersen. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jcpetersen

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
322,283

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
2399

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 49 (8/10), Guest 98 (10/10), genoveva (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. A prehistoric marine predator, the Megalodon could be described as a giant (~20 meters / ~60 feet) long version of this living creature. What is this creature, itself considered a monster thanks to films like "Jaws" (1975)? Hint

piranha

giant squid

great white shark

killer whale

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The Arthropleura was a giant (3 meters / 10 feet) version of what type of many-legged animal? Hint

wasp

cricket

millipede

moth

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The Meganeura were giant insects with a 3-foot wingspan. What modern insects do they resemble? Hint

dragonfly

cockroach

ladybug

termite

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Not all "monsters" died out millions or even thousands of years ago. The Aepyornis was a large flightless bird of Madagascar that only became extinct in the 17th century. Twice the size of an ostrich, what is the English name for the Aepyornis? Hint

skyscraper bird

elephant bird

dinosaur bird

nightmare bird

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. The extinct giant rhinoceros, Elasmotherium, was about 6 meters (20 feet) long and had a single horn up to 2 meters (6 feet) in length. Some people think it is the real-life inspiration for what mythological creature? Hint

narwhale

unicorn

gryphon

sphinx

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Not quite as big as King Kong, Gigantopithecus were giant (3 meters / 10 feet) versions of what animal? Hint

lion

ape

bear

lizard

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae was 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and is a "giant sea scorpion", though the name isn't technically correct. Why not? Hint

it was a mammal

scorpions are usually that size

it lived in freshwater, not saltwater

scorpions only live in the desert

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. The largest marine reptile found to date is Shonisaurus, which grew to be 21 meters (69 feet) long. What is a distinguishing feature of this creature's mouth? Hint

it is long, pointed, and only has teeth at the front end

it is wide and has whiskers, like a modern catfish

it has baleen like some whales

it can dislocate like a snake's jaw

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Doedicurus clavicaudatus was 4 meters (13 feet) long and had a bony, spiked tail. It also had an armored carapace like its modern day relative. What animal is related to this creature? Hint

turtle

sloth

frilled neck lizard

armadillo

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Ceratogaulus rhinocerus was a burrowing rodent about 30 centimeters (1 foot) long with what unusual characteristic? Hint

six legs

segmented wings

two horns on its nose

compound eyes

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Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: great white shark

Fossilized Megalodon teeth were once thought to be petrified dragon tongues.

The Megalodon lived approximately 25 to 1.5 million years ago.

2. The Arthropleura was a giant (3 meters / 10 feet) version of what type of many-legged animal?

Answer: millipede

Arthropleura lived 340-280 million years ago. Fossil records have been found in northeast North America and in Scotland.

Arthropleura was featured on Episode 2 of the British series "Primeval" (2007), though the television program greatly increased the size of the creature to 6 meters (20 feet) and gave it a poisonous bite.

3. The Meganeura were giant insects with a 3-foot wingspan. What modern insects do they resemble?

Answer: dragonfly

Meganeura lived approximately 300 million years ago.

In 1940, the largest complete fossilized insect wing was found in Oklahoma.

Answer: elephant bird

The large eggs of Aepyornis can measure up to 1 meter (3 feet) in circumference.

The exact cause of their extinction is unknown, but archeologists have determined that the eggs were a source of food for the native humans.

Answer: unicorn

Elasmotherium lived in what is now Asia and died out approximately 100,000 years ago. This puts them in the same time period as ancient man, so inspiring the unicorn myth is not an impossibility.

They had longer legs than modern rhinos, and could gallop quickly, despite weighing about 7 tons.

6. Not quite as big as King Kong, Gigantopithecus were giant (3 meters / 10 feet) versions of what animal?

Answer: ape

Gigantopithecus became extinct about 100,000 years ago.

Some cryptozoologists theorize that Gigantopithecus survives today as the creatures known as the sasquatch or yeti.

7. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae was 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and is a "giant sea scorpion", though the name isn't technically correct. Why not?

Answer: it lived in freshwater, not saltwater

Jaekelopterus rhenaniae lived about 390 million years ago.

In "Biology Letters" (November 2007), researchers from the University of Bristol estimated the size of the creature based upon a 46 centimeter (1.5 foot) mouth part.

8. The largest marine reptile found to date is Shonisaurus, which grew to be 21 meters (69 feet) long. What is a distinguishing feature of this creature's mouth?

Answer: it is long, pointed, and only has teeth at the front end

Shonisaurus means "Lizard from the Shoshone Mountains", the mountain range in Nevada where the first fossils were found in 1920. The remains of 37 Shonisauruses were excavated from the site in the 1950s.

In 1984, Nevada adopted the Shonisaurus as the State Fossil.

9. Doedicurus clavicaudatus was 4 meters (13 feet) long and had a bony, spiked tail. It also had an armored carapace like its modern day relative. What animal is related to this creature?

Answer: armadillo

The spiked club tail was probably used more for fighting other animals of its own species than for defense against predators.

There is a small dome at the front of the carapace that is thought to have been filled with fat, similar to a camel's hump.

Doedicurus clavicaudatus became extinct about 11,000 years ago.

10. Ceratogaulus rhinocerus was a burrowing rodent about 30 centimeters (1 foot) long with what unusual characteristic?

Answer: two horns on its nose

Commonly called the "horned gopher", Ceratogaulus rhinoceros resembled modern marmots (aside from the horns, of course).

The horns do not appear to have been useful in digging, and were probably used for defense against larger predators.

Source: Author jcpetersen

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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