Before mammoths and saber-toothed cats stole the spotlight, other giants ruled the Earth—and most people have never heard their names. These beasts weren’t just big. They were bizarre. Massive horned turtles, crocodiles the size of buses, sloths that stood taller than giraffes. Creatures so strange, they sound made up—yet they once roamed the same planet we walk today. They vanished long before written history, leaving behind bones, clues, and a whole lot of mystery. Here are 14 forgotten giants that didn’t make it into the museums—but they absolutely should have

Gigantopithecus

Imagine a creature that stood almost ten feet tall and weighed over 1,000 pounds. This ape, Gigantopithecus, lived in the forests of Asia during the Pleistocene epoch. Known for its massive jaws and teeth, it likely feasted on bamboo and other vegetation. Its sheer size dwarfed all modern apes.

Could Gigantopithecus have inspired the legend of Bigfoot? Some think so. With fossils found predominantly in China, India, and Vietnam, this gentle giant remains shrouded in mystery.

Despite its extinction around 100,000 years ago, its legacy endures, sparking imaginations worldwide.

Deinotherium, an ancient relative of modern elephants, stood out for its unusual tusks. Unlike today’s elephants, its tusks curved downward, a feature that intrigued paleontologists. This giant roamed Europe, Asia, and Africa around 10 million years ago.

With a height reaching up to 15 feet, it towered over many creatures of its time. Its diet likely consisted of leaves from tall trees, using its trunk and tusks to reach high vegetation.

Deinotherium’s presence in various continents highlights the diverse megafauna of the Miocene epoch, a time of great biological diversity.