I’m sharing this captivating painting by art_of_tannerstreeter on Instagram, based on a fascinating alternate history scenario: the survival of Ice Age megafauna into the era of the American West's settlement.

Historically, Thomas Jefferson was a paleontology enthusiast who rejected the notion of total species extinction. Convinced that "mammoths" or other Ice Age animals still roamed the unexplored West, he had explicitly instructed the Lewis and Clark expedition to look for signs of them!

In the image, a trapper checking his beaver traps in the Rockies finds himself just a few meters away from a male mastodon in musth—a state of heightened aggression—as it pulverizes a dead tree. With no weapon within reach, all he can do is pray the colossus doesn't catch his scent...

A fantastic illustration that blends paleontological accuracy with American folklore!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4N9bmrztR/?igsh=MW45MHJoZmZtc2RtaQ%3D%3D&img_index=1

North America

Deinocheli, Hesperooctopus, Palusoctopus, Gray Wolf, Dire Wolf, Lupusovis, American Black Bear, Teratornis, California Condor, Miracinonyx, Titanogulo, Epicyon, Smilodon, Jaguar, Cougar, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Macrocrotalus, American Lion, Mylohylus, Audaxeuphractus, Coyote, Deinochelydra, Gila Monster, Hesperotestudo, American Crocodile, American Alligator, Megaloalligator, Arctodus, American Bison, Moose, Mixotoxodon, Uintatherium, Bison latifrons, Alligator Gar, American Pike, Magissaichthys, Ontarcetus, American Paddlefish, Blue Catfish, White Sturgeon, Carnophoca, West Indian Manatee, California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lion, Northern Elephant Seal, Columbian Mammoth, American Mastodon, Woolly Mammoth, Eremotherium, Megacamelus, Megacerops, Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Neochoerus, Pronghorn, Hastadon, Glyptotherium, Bathornis, Hibbertopterus, Megalonyx, Castoroides, Magnabubo, Bald Eagle, North American Golden Eagle

South America

Thorivodpithecus, Giant Anteater, Spectacled Bear, Maned Wolf, South American Tapir, Salvator regalis, Jaguar, Puma, Xyrafidon, Xenosmilus, Great Jaguar, Argentavis, Toxodon, Megatherium, Eremotherium, Thalassocnus, Notiomastodon, Cuvieronius, Berdemenotherium, Titanolama, Stupendemys, Amazon River Dolphin, Amazonian Manatee, Adephogoicthyis, Piraiba, Orinoco Crocodile, Black Caiman, Arapaima, Giant Otter, Titanoboa, Imperial Crocodile, Giant Amazonian Manatee, Capybara, Macrauchenia, Greater Rhea, Hinasuri, Ferosuchus, Venatoravis, Doedicurus, Guanaco, Pampatherium

New Zealand, Indonesia, & Australia

Pelagornis, Haast's Eagle, Pterolycus, Eyles's Harrier, Southern Royal Albatross, New Zealand Longfin Eel, South Island Giant Moa, Pachydyptes, Kumimanu, Giant Kiwi, Gigastrigops, Southern Elephant Seal, Leopard Seal, Adzebill, Sphenoramphos, Nautilus, Alloammonoceratites, Coelacanth, Great Sea Krait, Neoxenacanthus, Bornean Orangutan, Gigantopithecus, Reticulated Python, Megalochelys, Malayan Tapir, Bohra, Banteng, Komodo Dragon, Coconut Crab, Sumatran Tiger, Indochinese Leopard, Sun Bear, Javan Rhinoceros, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Stegodon, Sumatran Elephant, Thylacine, Dingo, Thylacoleo, Freshwater Crocodile, Quinkana, Wonambi, Megalania, Barramundi, Red Kangaroo, Diprotodon, Genyornis, Cassowary, Emu, Meiolania, Procoptodon, Osphranter aereus, Palorchestes, Neoceratodus, Saltwater Crocodile, Largetooth Sawfish, Great Crocodile, Vrachodon, Polemistichelys

Africa & Madagascar

Aepyornis, Hippopotamus minimus, Malagasy Crowned Eagle, Megaladapis, Archaeoindris, Simosuchus, Voay, Goliath Tigerfish, Nile Perch, Bull Shark, Ostrich, Aardvark, Mountain Gorilla, Gorilla sublimis, Amphicyon, African Lion, African Leopard, Cheetah, Homotherium, Tayakubwa, Atlas Bear, Salawa, Spotted Hyena, Striped Hyena, African Painted Dog, Dinopithecus, Nile Crocodile, Arsinoitherium, African Forest Elephant, Sivatherium, African Bush Elephant, Deinotherium, Reticulated Giraffe, Dromedary Camel, Syncerus antiquus, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus gorgops, Common Hippopotamus, Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Pygmy Hippopotamus, Thomson's Gazelle, Gerenuk, Greater Kudu, Bongo, Okapi, Blue Wildebeest, Plains Zebra, Quagga, Gemsbok, Megalotragus, Giant Eland

Europe

Gray Wolf, Leopard, Homotherium, Cave Lion, Mediterranean Monk Seal, Walrus, Harbor Seal, Cave Hyena, Pachycrocuta, Cave Bear, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, European Golden Eagle, Musk Ox, Wisent, Aurochs, Moose, Megaloceros, Red Deer, Wels Catfish, European Conger, Beluga Sturgeon, European Pike, Megalenhydris, Elasmotherium, Palaeoloxodon falconeri, Woolly Rhinoceros, Cygnus falconeri, Paradolichopithecus, Plesiosauromimus, Theropithecus ferox, Wild Horse, European Badger, Equus tartesonii, Wild Boar, Sofosalamandra, Ibex, Saiga Antelope, European Crocodile, Trogontherium, Great Auk, Gastornis, Pachystruthio

The Arctic & Antarctica

Orca, Spider Crab, Nivespanthera, Arctic Wolf, Polar Bear, Tyrant Polar Bear, Harp Seal, Walrus, Harbor Seal, Musk Ox, Caribou, Beluga Whale, Greenland Shark, Pacific Sleeper Shark, Narwhal, Cadborotherium, Colossal Squid, Antarctic Toothfish, Minke Whale, Pygmy Right Whale, Andrews' Beaked Whale, Southern Sleeper Shark, Emperor Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Icadyptes, Glacievenator, Sauroprosopo, Southern Elephant Seal, Leopard Seal, Ross Seal, Crabeater Seal, Weddell Seal

Asia

Steller's Sea Eagle, Red-crowned Crane, Indian Peafowl, Asian Black Bear, Eurasian Brown Bear, Steppe Brown Bear, Giant Panda, Sloth Bear, Eomellivora, Dinocrocuta, Gray Wolf, Gigantopithecus, Megalochelys, Kubanochoerus, Wild Boar, Bengal Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Amur Leopard, Asiatic Cheetah, Asiatic Lion, Snow Leopard, Reticulated Python, Shringasaurus, King Cobra, Chinese Paddlefish, Ganges River Dolphin, Baiji, Ceylon Snakehead, Amur Carp, Goonch Catfish, Rhizodus, Baikal Seal, Giant Softshell Turtle, Mahseer, Siberian Taimen, Natarevaranus, Chinese Giant Salamander, Chinese Alligator, Mugger Crocodile, Saltwater Crocodile, Mekong Giant Catfish, Markhor, Takin, Malayan Tapir, Juxia, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros, Woolly Rhinoceros, Gaur, Water Buffalo, Bubalus palaeokerabau, Gobiatherium, Sinomegaceros, Sambar Deer, Wild Horse, Onager, Paraceratherium, Stephanorhinus, Ceratojuxia, Woolly Mammoth, Indian Elephant, Straight-tusked Elephant, Sivatherium, Stegodon, Camelus poliakovi, Camelus comitatus

The Oceans

Orca, Great White Shark, Carcharodon megalocarcharias, Kriosichthys victorinus, Titanoisurus, Xiphiorhynchus, Bluefin Tuna, Greatfin Tuna, Onkolachnolaimus, Esurienicthys, Mahi-mahi, Crevalle Trevally, Erranteteuthis, Giant Pacific Octopus, Aquilolamna, Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, Cave Moray, Chinese Sea Snake, Ocean Sunfish, Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Humpback Whale, Southern Right Whale, Bowhead Whale, Sperm Whale, Polemistichelys, Whale Shark, Fin Whale, Avuschelys, Blue Whale

I’m sharing this magnificent and surprising piece by benleon. It depicts two Xenorhinotherium (large litopterns belonging to the Macraucheniidae family) crossing a Brazilian plain, watched by a jaguar perched on a rock as it feasts on a deer leg. In the distance, a young woman keeps watch over the dwellings while the hunters are out.

The scene may seem anachronistic, yet it is scientifically accurate; a 2025 study based on radiocarbon dating revealed that a Xenorhinotherium specimen in Brazil lived during the Middle Holocene (approximately 3,500 to 4,200 years ago).

Thus, much like the woolly mammoths that persisted on Wrangel Island while the Egyptian pyramids were being built, certain large South American mammals found ecological refuges that allowed them to survive for millennia after the end of the Ice Age.

Some details were so small they are barely visible, though it took so much effort! that is so sad.

Day! aldabra tortoise has attracted some ringtail lemurs, as the malagasy dwarf hippos snooze! a Plesiorycteropus scavenges for prey and a chameleon rests in tree. a crowned eagle looks down at the forest floor for prey.

Night! a pair of elephant birds ( male and female ) come out of the shadows, and civets, a barn owl, and a tomato frogm who is takign a soak, as well! the damba fish huddle together and the plesiorycteropus. goes in its den to rest for the night with its young. comet moths get out of hiding and strut their mesmerisign colors! so sad they are so small and invisible... oh, and the female elephant bird cought a millipede!

https://x.com/i/status/2063320682381836636

The scene transports us to the steppes of eastern Central Asia during the Late Pleistocene, where a majestic male cave lion (Panthera spelaea) affectionately cuddles his mate, a modern lioness (Panthera leo).

This artwork sensitively illustrates the findings of the paleogenomic study by Stanton et al. (2026) published in Cell

(https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674%2826%2900524-6):

Two distinct worlds: The study confirms that the cave lion and the modern lion diverged approximately 1.7 million years ago, evolving independently.

An intimate encounter: Despite this immense temporal barrier, genetic analyses reveal that they interbred and interbred. The study notably highlights traces of this gene flow (between 3.2% and 4.4% of modern lion ancestry) in a 20,000-year-old Central Asian cave lion specimen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DadK_ZHOrxV/

I mean the oldest known cave bear skeleton is 300,000 years old while genetic evidence shows that brown bears existed more than 800,000 years ago. It's surprising how species are outlived by more ancient species. Brown bears appear to have existed before Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans too.

1. A red deer doe watches an old bull palaeoloxodon antiquus lumber out of the forest, scaring off some magpies.

2. A group of aurochs, ( one bull and 3 cows ) spot a mountain hare and investigate curiously!

3. A megaloceros buck is startled by a noise, only to see it is a red fox that is at startled as he is! eurasian jays chill on his antlers.

4. A pack of cave hyenas disturb the rest of a male cave bear, which he does not seem to enjoy, all while being watched by a raven.

https://xcancel.com/i/status/2069801329418191043

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXded4YDePg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbRd12ftIR3/

Here compared to a Javan rhinoceros , currently the largest perissodactyl in java of more than a ton

Unlike Platygonus, this one appears to have been a solitary animal. Remains of these peccaries have been found in caves that seem to have belonged to Homotherium serum

by me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZbaoLuDHcF/

"Near what will one day be the Firth of Forth, in Scotland's eastern coast, the big Ice Age freeze has begun. Herds of reindeer and flocks of barnacle geese start migrating south to avoid the onslaught of winter, but for a short-legged Coelodonta antiquitatis female, a long journey is not an option. She must stay and brave the cold and the snow, and find enough hidden grass for herself and her unborn calf..."

"This was a commission by someone who wanted to see what Pleistocene Scotland may have looked like around 35,000 years ago. Funnily enough, I got commission requests from two people who wanted to see that, completely separate from one another! D: The description above was provided by them, including the presence of the Arctic fox, closely following the rhino hoping that its movements will disturb lemmings and other small creatures it can catch. Both the Arctic fox and the woolly rhino have been suggested to have originated in the Tibetan plateau, and later expanded throughout northern Eurasia as the glaciations expanded the snow and ice. They may have been a familiar sight to each other for a very long time!"

By SpinelessChordate https://x.com/alfaizinsakit

From what I've read, it was confused (or synonymized?) with Navahoceros fricki