Top 10 Pre-Historic Animals That Are Still Alive Today

Living fossils offer a fascinating glimpse into Earth's evolutionary history, showcasing creatures that have survived for millions of years. From the coelacanth to the emperor scorpion, these ancient species reveal the resilience of life. Understanding their unique adaptations underscores the importance of conservation efforts to protect these remarkable lineages from extinction.

There are ten living fossils, among which the most important is one: ten prehistoric creatures that survive today. Examples can be as follows:

1. Coelacanth:

The coelacanth is referred to as a "living fossil," dating over 410 million years and believed to be long buried. The species had been lost for millions of years when, in 1938, it again surfaced and has survived largely unchanged from its early roots, possessing lobed limbs like their ancient counterparts similar to those of the land vertebrates.

2. Horseshoe Crab

Horseshoe crabs are one of the living species that have existed for a period of more than 450 million years. There is a reason why there is a lot of attraction towards their blue blood with unique properties, which facilitates medical research. They too have survived mass extinctions.

3. Nautilus

Nautiluses have been around for an estimated 500 million years. They have their interesting spiral shells. Marine mollusks like nautiluses have remained little-altered over millions of centuries, and this speaks volumes about evolutionary stability.

4. Tuatara

This New Zealand reptile has survived for almost 225 million years. It resembles a lizard, but the tuatara is a lineage that survived from the dinosaur era with some very interesting evolutionary features.

5. Crocodiles

Crocodilians, like alligators and caimans, have been on earth for around 250 million years. They are predators with a very powerful body design that has remained unchanged for millions of years.

6. Alligator Gar

This is an ancient fish which has existed for about 100 million years. As characterized by an elongated body and sharp teeth, the alligator gar is called a "living fossil" due to the primitive characteristics displayed.

7. Platypus

The platypus is one of the oldest egg-laying mammals and has survived for around 170 million years. Its body features, such as having a duck-bill, and webbed feet, categorize it among both reptiles and mammals, making the platypus one of the most peculiar creatures of nature.

8. Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have been swimming in oceans for over 100 million years. They have survived many geological ages by adapting to different living conditions.

9. Velvet Worms

These animals have survived for about 500 million years. They have soft bodies and an ancient method of hunting, using slime. Velvet worms represent the most ancient lineages that have survived the ages.

10. Emperor Scorpion

The emperor scorpions are ranked among the largest globally with a history of roughly 300 million years. They live in tropical regions and have low venom making them ideal for the exotic pet business.

These creatures will give much more knowledge about evolutionary history. Meanwhile, they shed light on the conservation to help save these unique creatures from extinction.