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1、www.readinga-Written by Alfred J.SmuskiewiczPrehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)A Reading AZ Level Z1 Leveled BookWord Count:2,155LEVELED BOOK Z1Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Visit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.YZ1Z2WritingResearch an era described in the book.Crea

2、te a pamphlet persuading someone to vacation there.Include facts about the era and what a visitor should bring along to be prepared.ScienceDo further research on the adaptations of one animal from the book.Describe how the adaptations allowed the animal to survive in the era in which it lived.Connec

3、tionsPrehistoric Giants (Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1 Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by Alfred J.SmuskiewiczAll rights reserved.www.readinga-Table of contents:Georges Cuvier(portrait,top left)defined the ways scientists decide how an extinct animal,such as Megatherium(top),might look.Geologist Wil

4、liam Buckland(foreground,left)found a tiny mammals jawbone(under magnifying glass)with a dinosaurs toe bone,which led him and Cuvier to decide that mammals had lived in more ancient times than anyone had ever known.Photo Credits:Front cover,pages 9,13,16,17:DEA PICTURE LIBRARY/age fotostock;title pa

5、ge:Dirk Wiersma/Science Source;page 3:John Reader/Science Source;pages 6,8,20:DK Images;page 11:Sheila Terry/Science Source;page 12(bottom):Richard Ellis/Science Source;pages 12(top right),15,22(left):Hemera Technologies/Jupiterimages Corporation;14:Chris Butler/Science Source;page 18:Roger Harris/S

6、cience Source;page 19:Jupiterimages Corporation;page 21:NYPL/Science Source;page 22(right):iStock/packagedesignPrehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)CorrelationLEVEL Z1WXN/A60Fountas&PinnellReading RecoveryDRAamphibiansarthropodDNAerasextincthabitatherbivoresice ageinvertebratesmarinepaleontologis

7、tsperiodspredatorsprehistoricspeciestentaclestrilobitesWords to Knowwww.readinga-Written by Alfred J.SmuskiewiczHow and why has animal life evolved on Earth over the past millions of years?Focus Question34Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1Table of ContentsWhat Giants Lived Long Ago?.4G

8、iant Invertebrates .6Giant Fish and Amphibians .10Giant Reptiles .12Giant Birds .16Giant Mammals .18A World Without Giants?.22Glossary .23Index .24What Giants Lived Long Ago?Imagine traveling in a time machine to walk through a forest millions of years ago.As you stroll along,you suddenly hear a lou

9、d snorting behind you.When you turn,you see a huge animal,bigger than a house!You may think at first that this giant is a dinosaurbut it might not be.Many prehistoric animals other than dinosaurs were giants.There were other giant reptiles as well as giant species of shellfish,insects,centipedes,fis

10、h,amphibians,birds,and mammals.There was even a giant ape,almost like King Kong!Scientists called paleontologists learn about prehistoric animals from shells,footprints,and fossils(remains or traces of animals,such as bones).Paleontologists can use a fossil to learn when and where an animal lived,ho

11、w big it was,what kind of food it ate,and how it moved.Sometimes,paleontologists can even remove DNA from animal remains.Tests of this DNA can show how the prehistoric animal is related to animals living today.Do You Know?Species have changed over and over again throughout Earths history,with old sp

12、ecies becoming extinct(dying out)and new ones appearing.More than 99 percent of all animal species that have ever lived are now extinct.56Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z113adc078Scientists divide Earths history into several different periods of time.These periods are grouped into dif

13、ferent eras.The chart on page 7 shows in what periods and eras the animals in this book lived.As you read this book,pay special attention to parts that discuss causes and effects of various events,such as why a species disappeared during a certain period.Enjoy your prehistoric journey with giants!Gi

14、ant InvertebratesSet your time machine for the Paleozoic(pay-lee-ah-ZO-ik)era to see some giant invertebrates(animals without backbones).Some fly through the air,and others swim in the oceans,so dont forget to bring your swimsuit!CamerocerasScariest ShellfishIt is 470 million to 440 million years ag

15、o,and all animals live in the ocean.What are you waiting for?Dive in to see Cameroceras(cam-er-ah-SAIR-us),a giant squidlike shellfish.Its head and eight tentacles stick out of a cone-shaped shell,which might grow as long as 36 feet(11 m).Cameroceras swims by forcing water out of its shell through a

16、 tube.The force of the water makes the animal move in the opposite direction.This is similar to a balloon releasing air and flying across the room.Cameroceras hunts trilobites(TRY-luh-bites)and other sea animals.It grabs these animals with its tentacles and uses its sharp beak to tear them to pieces

17、.Do You Know?People used to think the fossil shells of small relatives of Cameroceras were the horns of unicorns.1 Cameroceras:N.America2 Meganeura:Europe3 Arthropleura:N.America,Europe4 Leedsichthys:France,Chile5 Koolasuchus:Europe6 Liopleurodon:Europe7 Elasmosaurus:N.America,Russia,Japan8 Cymbospo

18、ndylus:N.America,Europe9 Ornithocheirus:S.America,Europe,Africa,Australia0 Gastornis:N.America,Europea Phorusrhacos:N.and S.Americab Indricotherium:Mongoliac Mammuthus:N.America,Europe,Siberiad Megatherium:N.and S.Americae Gigantopithecus:China,Southeast Asiae7Prehistoric Fossils Found94adc7be994 60

19、c8953278Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1Eras and Periods in Earths HistoryMeganeuraDangerous DragonflyIf you travel more than 100 million years after Cameroceras roamed the seas,you will probably end up in a swampy forest,about 311 million to 282 million years ago.And you might want

20、to duck because a giant dragonfly is swooping down through the tropical air.Meganeura(meh-guh-NYUR-uh)is bigger than most birds you know.It has a wingspan of 2.5 feet(76 cm),making it the largest insect ever known.Youve probably noticed that the air is heavier than youre used to.Thats because theres

21、 more oxygen in it.This heavy air helps support the weight of the giant flyer,and the extra oxygen allows Meganeura to grow to a giant size.How Meganeura Compares with Giant Insects of TodayEra Period When Period Animals in Period Began(years ago)Precambrian Time 4.5 billion*Paleozoic Cambrian 543 m

22、illion Ordovician 490 million Cameroceras,page 6 Silurian 443 million Devonian 417 million Carboniferous 354 million Arthropleura,page 9 Meganeura,page 8 Permian 290 millionMesozoic Triassic 248 million Cymbospondylus,page 12 Jurassic 206 million Leedsichthys,page 10 Liopleurodon,page 13 Cretaceous

23、144 million Ornithocheirus,page 15 Koolasuchus,page 11 Elasmosaurus,page 14Cenozoic Tertiary 65 million Gastornis,page 16 Indricotherium,page 18 Phorusrhacos,page 17 Gigantopithecus,page 19 Quaternary 2 million Mammuthus,page 20 Megatherium,page 21 Today*The first known animal appeared about 600 mil

24、lion years ago.atlas mothgoliath beetledesert centipede910Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1The body of Arthropleura was made up of 30 hard plates.Under each plate was a pair of legs.ArthropleuraBiggest BugNow that Meganeura has flown by,crawling toward you along the forest floor is Ar

25、thropleura(AHR-throw-PLOOR-ah),the largest land arthropod ever.But it isnt a six-legged insect.It is more like a 60-legged centipede,and it can grow longer than 8 feet(2.5 m).It lives in swampy forests between 340 million and 280 million years ago.Like Meganeura,Arthropleura grows so large because t

26、he air is heavy with oxygen.Giant Fish and AmphibiansThe next giants you will visit on your journey through time are a fish and an amphibian who live during different periods of the Mesozoic(MEZ-uh-ZO-ik)era.You might want to bring your snorkel as you head out to sea.LeedsichthysLargest FishLeedsich

27、thys(leeds-ICK-thiss)is no“big fish that got away”story.It is real.The largest fish that ever lived,it can grow almost 55 feet(16.8 m)long in the seas of 165 million to 155 million years ago.Leedsichthys gulps in huge mouthfuls of water as it swims.At the back of the fishs mouth are more than 40,000

28、 long,thin teeth.These teeth act like a screen to keep in shrimp,jellyfish,and other small animals when Leedsichthys blows the water back out.Many whales eat this way back in your time.You know Leedsichthys will eventually become extinct because the animal doesnt exist in your time.The reason is pos

29、sibly because seas become lower and smaller.Smaller seas will mean less food for the giant fish to eat.Do You Know?In May 2005,fishermen in Thailand caught a Mekong giant catfish almost 9 feet(2.7 m)long.Before scientists could study this giant fish,however,the fishermen and their friends ate it!111

30、2Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1KoolasuchusSlimy GiantHit the fast-forward button in your time machine,skipping ahead between 40 million and 60 million years further into the Mesozoic era.See that slimy giant salamander with the really wide,flat head?Thats Koolasuchus(KOOL-ah-SOOK-u

31、s),an enormous amphibian,about 17 feet(5 m)long,that lives in swampy forests 137 million to 112 million years ago.Its big head holds more than 100 long teeth,which it uses to capture fish,crabs,turtles,and other prey.Koolasuchus has eyes on top of its head.This allows it to bury itself in muddy wate

32、r while keeping watch for prey.Crocodiles hunt in the same way.Koolasuchus and other giant amphibians will disappear.A change in climate will cause them to become extinct.The change in climate will cause their swampy habitat to become less common.Giant ReptilesDuring the Mesozoic,while dinosaurs wal

33、k on Earth,other giant reptiles swim in the ocean.They are just as gigantic as some dinosaurs.And just as deadly.CymbospondylusFishlike ReptileCymbospondylus(sim-bow-SPON-di-lus)belongs to a group of fishlike marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs(IK-thee-uh-sorz).It lives 240 million to 210 million ye

34、ars ago,when it is one of the largest animals in the sea,at 33 feet(10 m)long.Cymbospondylus has a huge head with a long,pointed snout.Its jaws contain many rows of small teeth used for catching and holding fish and other animals that it hunts in deep waters.Animals of the Mesozoic EraCymbospondylus

35、 had a huge head with a long,pointed snout.It hunted mostly small-and medium-sized fish and shellfish.1314Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1ElasmosaurusLong-Necked HunterIf you go swimming between 85 million and 65 million years ago,you might not even notice Elasmosaurus(eh-LAZ-mo-SAWR

36、-us),even though it grows as long as 49 feet(15 m).Most of that length is in its neck and tail.This plesiosaurs long neck has 76 backbones in it.(The neck of a person has only seven backbones.)Elasmosaurus can keep the bulk of its body far away from the fish it hunts.Its long neck allows it to sneak

37、 up under a school of fish without the fish knowing there is a giant under them!LiopleurodonT.rex of the SeasTravel forward from the time of Cymbospondylus but stay in the oceanif you dare.The reptile Liopleurodon(LIE-oh-PLOOR-oh-don)swims in these salty waters,with a mouth about three times larger

38、than that of the famous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex(tie-RAN-uh-SAW-russ rex).Liopleurodon can use its large,powerful jaws to kill any animal in the seas.Like a shark in your time,it can smell prey from a long distance away.Part of a group of reptiles called plesiosaurs(PLEEZ-ee-uh-sorz),short-necked

39、Liopleurodon lives 160 million to 155 million years ago.It can grow up to 49 feet(15 m)long.Do You Know?Plesiosaurs lived in the open ocean,but they breathed air,just as dolphins and other whales do.Elasmosaurus swam with its long neck straight out.The reptile also had four diamond-shaped flippers.1

40、516Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1Giant Birds You wont need binoculars to spot the enormous creatures called terror birds.Like todays ostriches,they are flightless,but unlike plant-eating ostriches,most(and maybe all)terror birds are predators.GastornisA Ton of TerrorIn the forests

41、and swamps of 56 million to 41 million years ago,you will find Gastornis(gas-TOR-nis),a bird about 7 feet(2.1 m)tall.It is possibly one of the top predators in North America and Europe since dinosaurs are extinct in its time.Modern scientists are not sure what this terror bird eats,but you can see i

42、ts sharp,powerful beak,which can easily rip the flesh and crush the bones of small animalsif it can catch them.Gastornis may weigh more than 1 ton(0.9 metric tons).OrnithocheirusFlying ReptileFrom out of the sky,a creature the size of a small airplane swoops down,dips its long beak below the waters

43、surface,and swallows a fish whole before flying off again.A giant bird?No.You just witnessed Ornithocheirus(or-NITH-oh-KY-rus),a flying reptile that lives near sea coasts and lakes from 140 million to 70 million years ago.It may be the largest of the pterosaurs(TAIR-ah-sorz),which is a group of flyi

44、ng reptiles that live at the same time as the dinosaurs.Ornithocheirus has a wingspan up to 40 feet(12.2 m)and a body about 11.5 feet(3.5 m)long.Although it is gigantic,it probably weighs only about as much as you do.Thats because its bones are hollow,helping it to fly easily.Colonies of these giant

45、 flyers build nests on cliff tops.OrnithocheirusHow Big Was It?20 feet(6.1 m)20 feet(6.1 m)11.5 feet(3.5 m)6 feet (1.8 m)humanGastornis might have eaten animals with its strong beak,but scientists dont know for sure.1718Prehistoric Giants(Other Than Dinosaurs)Level Z1PhorusrhacosSpeedy and DeadlyPho

46、rusrhacos(FOR-us-RAH-kus)is a terror bird that stands up to 10 feet(3 m)tall.It hunts small animals in plains and woodlands from 27 million to 2.5 million years ago,possibly catching such prey as young saber-toothed cats and small horses.Phorusrhacos can move much faster than Gastornis because it do

47、esnt weigh as much as that earlier terror bird.Phorusrhacos may be able to run after its prey at 43 miles(69 km)per hour,faster than a car usually travels down a city street.Giant MammalsAfter the extinction of the giant reptiles,giant mammals began to rule the world.Many scientists believe terror b

48、irds went extinct later in the Cenozoic era because mammals were better huntersthey ate all the food!But the giant mammals you are about to meet are herbivores,meaning they eat only plants,so dont be afraid to get close.IndricotheriumDino-Sized RhinoClimb a tree to get a good look at Indricotherium(

49、IN-drik-oh-THEER-ee-um),a relative of todays rhinoceros.This giant mammal uses its long neck,like a giraffe,to eat leaves and branches at the tops of trees.Living from 30 million to 25 million years ago,Indricotherium is at least 15 feet(4.5 m)tallbigger than a one-story houseand it weighs 16 tons(1

50、5 metric tons).The big body of Indricotherium allows it to store a great amount of fat and water.This helps the big animal survive long hot and dry seasons.Phorusrhacos had a short,sharp claw on each wing,though scientists do not know how it was used.Indricotherium is one of the largest mammals.1920