ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Prehistoric life

Do you love dinosaurs and other ancient creatures that lived a long, long time ago? Great! So did lots of scientists and researchers who study what life was like before people like you and me existed on the planet. That's what we call prehistoric life.

Imagine the Earth was really old, like a grandparent! It's so old that it looks nothing like the world we live in today. Millions and millions of years ago, there weren't any cities, buildings, or cars like we have now. Instead, there were giant trees, big mountains, vast oceans, and lots of different kinds of animals and plants that we can't see anymore.

The first creatures that lived on Earth were tiny microscopic bacteria. They were so small that we can't even see them using our eyes! But after a really long time, other creatures began to evolve and change, making their way into all kinds of habitats.

One of those creatures was the dinosaurs. These were like big lizards that walked on two legs or four legs. Some of the biggest beasts that ever lived were the dinosaurs, like the tallest one, the Brachiosaurus, who had a long neck to reach the tallest trees.

And that's not all – there were also some other animals that were just as fascinating! There were giant sloths who moved so slowly, huge woolly mammoths that roamed the snowy fields, and saber-toothed tigers that had scary long teeth like a knife.

Scientists have found many ancient fossils that help them understand what prehistoric life was like. Fossils are like clues, they are preserved remains of animals and plants from a time long ago. It's amazing!

We still have so much to learn about prehistoric life, but it's exciting to think about what stories and surprises these ancient fossils might uncover for us in the future!