The most ancient animal on earth living today. The most famous prehistoric predators. Black-bellied disc-tongue frog
Unseen prehistoric animals
Prehistoric creatures. Ancient animals. Animals of the past.
Animals of the prehistoric period. Animals of the distant past.
Prehistoric animals that lived on different continents thousands and millions of years ago.
Remains of Platybelodon ( Platybelodon) were found for the first time only in 1920 in Miocene deposits (about 20 million years ago) of Asia. Descended from the archaeobelodon (genus Archaeobelodon) from the early and middle Miocene of Africa and Eurasia and was in many ways similar to the elephant, except that it did not have a trunk, the place of which was taken by huge jaws.
Platybelodon went extinct towards the end of the Miocene, about 6 million years ago, and no animal with such an unusual mouth shape exists today. Platybelodon had a dense build and reached 3 meters at the withers. It probably weighed approximately 3.5-4.5 tons. There were two pairs of tusks in the mouth. The upper tusks were round in cross-section, like those of modern elephants, while the lower tusks were flattened and spade-shaped. With its spade-shaped lower tusks, Platybelodon apparently rummaged in the ground in search of roots or stripped bark from trees. Platybelodon belongs to the order of proboscis - Proboscidea, to the superfamily Elephantoidea, which in Russian can be formulated as elephant-shaped.
Pakicetus (Pakicetus) is an extinct predatory mammal belonging to the archaeocetes. The oldest known ancestor of the modern whale, it lived approximately 48 million years ago and adapted to foraging in water. Lived in the territory of modern Pakistan. This primitive “whale” still remained an amphibian, like the modern otter. The ear had already begun to adapt to hear underwater, but could not yet withstand the great pressure.
He had powerful jaws that marked him as a predator, close-set eyes and a muscular tail. The sharp teeth were adapted to grab slippery fish. He probably had webbing between his fingers. The main feature is that its ankle bones are most similar to those of pigs, sheep and hippos. The cranial bones are very similar to those of whales.
Arsinotherium (Arsinoitherium) - an ungulate that lived approximately 36-30 million years ago. Reached 3.5 m in length and 1.75 m in height at the withers. Outwardly, it resembled a modern rhinoceros, but retained all five toes on its front and hind legs. Its “special feature” were huge, massive horns, consisting not of keratin, but of a bone-like substance, and a pair of small outgrowths of the frontal bone. Remains of Arsinotherium are known from Lower Oligocene deposits of northern Africa (Egypt).
Megaloceros (Megaloceros giganteus) or Bighorn deer, appeared about 300 thousand years ago and died out at the end of the Ice Age. Inhabited Eurasia, from the British Isles to China, preferred open landscapes with rare woody vegetation. The big-horned deer was the size of a modern elk. The male's head was decorated with colossal horns, greatly expanded at the top in the shape of a spade with several branches, with a span of 200 to 400 cm, and weighing up to 40 kg. Scientists do not have a consensus on what led to the emergence of such huge and, apparently, inconvenient jewelry for the owner.
It is likely that the luxurious horns of males, intended for tournament fights and attracting females, greatly interfered with Everyday life. Perhaps, when forests replaced the tundra-steppe and forest-steppe, it was the colossal horns that caused the extinction of the species. He could not live in the forests, because with such a “decoration” on his head it was impossible to walk through the forest.
Astrapoteria (Astrapotherium magnum) - a genus of large ungulates from the late Oligocene - middle Miocene of South America. They are the most well-studied representatives of the order Astrapotheria. They were quite large animals - their body length reached 288 cm, height was 137 cm, and weight, apparently, reached 600 - 800 kg.
Titanoides (Titanoides) lived 60 million years ago on the American continent and were the first truly large mammals. The area where Titanoides lived was subtropical with swampy forest, similar to modern southern Florida. They probably ate roots, leaves, and tree bark; they also did not disdain small animals and carrion. They were distinguished by the presence of terrifying fangs - sabers, on a huge, almost half-meter skull. Overall, they were powerful beasts, weighing about 200 kg. and body length up to 2 meters.
Stilinodon (Stylinodon) is the most famous and last species of taeniodonts, living about 45 million years ago during the Middle Eocene in North America. Teniodonts were among the most rapidly evolving mammals after the extinction of dinosaurs. They are probably related to ancient primitive insectivorous animals, from which they apparently originated. The largest representatives, such as Stylinodon, reached the size of a pig or medium-sized bear and weighed up to 110 kg. The teeth had no roots and had constant growth.
Teniodonts were strong, muscular animals. Their five-fingered limbs developed powerful claws adapted for digging. All this suggests that taeniodonts ate solids. plant foods(tubers, rhizomes, etc.), which was dug out of the ground with powerful claws. It is believed that they were the same active diggers and led a similar burrowing lifestyle.
Pantolambda (Pantolambda) is a relatively large North American pantodont, about the size of a sheep, that lived in the mid-Paleocene. The oldest representative of the order. Panthodonts evolved from Cimolestes and are related to early ungulates. It is likely that Pantolambda's diet was varied and not very specialized. The menu included shoots and leaves, mushrooms and fruits, which could be supplemented with insects, worms, or carrion.
Coryphodons (Coryphodon) were widespread in the lower Eocene 55 million years ago, at the end of which they became extinct. The genus Coryphodon appeared in Asia in the early Eocene era, and then migrated to the territory of modern North America, where it probably replaced the native pantodont Barylambda. The height of the corfodon was about a meter and its weight was approximately 500 kg. Probably, these animals preferred to settle in forests or near water bodies.
The basis of their diet was leaves, young shoots, flowers and all kinds of marsh vegetation. Amblypods, as animals that had a very small brain and were characterized by a very imperfect structure of teeth and limbs, could not coexist for long with the new, more progressive ungulates that took their place.
Kvabebigiraksy (Kvabebihyrax kachethicus) is a genus of very large fossil hyraxes of the pliohyracid family. They lived only in Transcaucasia (in Eastern Georgia) in the late Pliocene, 3 million years ago. They were distinguished by their large size, the length of their massive body reached 1.5 m. The protrusion of the quabebigirax's eye sockets above the surface of the forehead, like a hippopotamus, indicates the ability of quabebigirax to hide in water. Perhaps it was in the aquatic environment that the Kwabeb hyrax sought protection in times of danger.
Celodonts (Coelodonta antiquitatis) - fossil woolly rhinoceroses, adapted to life in the arid and cool conditions of the open landscapes of Eurasia. They existed from the late Pliocene to the early Holocene. They were large, relatively short-legged animals with a high nape and an elongated skull bearing two horns. The length of their massive body reached 3.2–4.3 m, the height at the withers was 1.4–2 m.
A characteristic feature of these animals was a well-developed woolly coat, which protected them from low temperatures and cold winds. The low-set head with square lips made it possible to collect the main food - the vegetation of the steppe and tundra-steppe. From archaeological finds it follows that the woolly rhinoceros was hunted by Neanderthals about 70 thousand years ago.
Embolotherium (Embolotherium ergilense) - representatives of the family Brontotheriidae of the order Unpaired. These are large land mammals, larger than rhinoceroses. The group was widely represented in the savanna landscapes of Central Asia and North America, mainly in the Oligocene. The skull size of 125 cm of condylobasal length suggests the growth of Ergilensis from a large African elephant under 4 m at the withers and a weight of about 7 tons.
Palorchestes (Palorchestes azael) is a genus of marsupials that lived in Australia in the Miocene and became extinct in the Pleistocene about 40 thousand years ago, after humans arrived in Australia. Reached 1 meter at the withers. The animal's muzzle ended with a small proboscis, for which Palorchests are called marsupial tapirs, to which they are somewhat similar. In fact, palorchests are quite close relatives of wombats and koalas.
Synthetoceras (Synthetoceras tricornatus) lived in the Miocene, 5-10 million years ago, in North America. The most characteristic difference these animals have bony “horns”. It is unknown whether they were covered with a cornea, like modern cattle, but it is clear that the antlers did not change annually, like deer. Synthetoceras belonged to the extinct North American family Protoceratidae, and is believed to be related to camels. Protoceratids looked completely different, although the structure of the lower parts of their limbs was similar to that of camels, which made it possible to place such different animals in one group.
Meritherium (Moeritherium) is the oldest known representative of proboscis. It was the size of a tapir and probably resembled this animal in appearance, having a rudimentary trunk. Reached 2 m in length and 70 cm in height. Weighed approximately 225 kg. The second pairs of incisors in the upper and lower jaw were greatly enlarged; their further hypertrophy in later proboscideans led to the formation of tusks. Lived in the late Eocene and Oligocene in North Africa (from Egypt to Senegal). It ate plants and algae. According to the latest data, modern elephants had distant ancestors who lived mainly in water.
Deinotherium (Deinotherium giganteum) - the largest land animals of the late Miocene - middle Pliocene. Body length of representatives various types fluctuated between 3.5-7 m, height at the withers reached 3-5 m (on average - 3.5-4 m), and weight could reach 8-10 tons. Outwardly they resembled modern elephants, but differed from them proportions.
Stegotetrabelodon (Stegotetrabelodon) is a representative of the elephantid family, which means that elephants themselves used to have 4 well-developed tusks. The lower jaw was longer than the upper, but its tusks were shorter. When the jaws closed, the lower tusks entered the gap between the upper ones. At the end of the Miocene (5 million years ago), proboscideans began to lose their lower tusks.
Andrewsarch (Andrewsarchus), perhaps the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammal. Andrewsarchus is represented as a long-bodied, short-legged beast with a huge head. The length of the skull is 834 mm, the width of the zygomatic arches is 560 mm, but the dimensions can be much larger. According to modern reconstructions, if we assume relatively large head sizes and shorter leg lengths, then the body length could reach up to 3.5 meters (without the 1.5 meter tail), the height at the shoulders could be up to 1.6 meters. The weight could reach one ton. Andrewsarchus is a primitive ungulate, close to the ancestors of whales and artiodactyls.
Amphicyonids (Amphicyon major) or dog-bears became widespread in Europe from the late Oligocene (2 million years ago). The proportions of Amphicyon major were a mixture of bear and cat features. Like bears, his remains were found in Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. The average weight of males of Amphicyon major is 212 kg, and females - 122 kg (almost the same as modern lions). Amphicyon major was active predator, and its teeth were well adapted for crunching bones.
Giant sloths- a group of several different species of sloths, notable for their particularly large sizes. They arose in the Oligocene about 35 million years ago and lived on the American continents, reaching a weight of several tons and a height of 6 m. Unlike modern sloths, they lived not in trees, but on the ground. They were clumsy, slow animals with low, narrow skulls and very little brain matter.
Despite his heavy weight, the animal stood on its hind legs and, leaning its forelimbs on the tree trunk, took out succulent leaves. Leaves were not the only food of these animals. They also ate cereals, and perhaps did not disdain carrion. People settled the American continent between 30 and 10 thousand years ago, and the last giant sloths disappeared from the continent about 10 thousand years ago. This suggests that these animals were hunted. They were probably easy prey because, like their modern relatives, they moved very slowly.
Arctotherium (Arctotherium angustidens) - the biggest short-faced bear, currently known. Representatives of this species reached 3.5 m in length and weighed about 1600 kg. The height at the withers reached 180 cm. Arctotherium angustidens lived in the Pleistocene, on the Argentine plains. At one time (2 million - 500 thousand years ago) it was the largest predator on the planet.
Uintatherium (Uintatherium) is a mammal from the order Dinocerata. The most characteristic feature is three pairs of horn-like projections on the roof of the skull (parietal and maxillary bones), more developed in males. The outgrowths were covered with skin, like the ossicones of giraffes.
Toxodon (Toxodon) - the largest representative of the toxodont family (Toxodontidae) and the order Notoungulata, was endemic to South America. The genus Toxodon formed at the end of the Pliocene and survived until the very end of the Pleistocene. With its massive build and large size, Toxodon resembled a hippopotamus or rhinoceros. The height at the shoulders was approximately 1.5 meters, and the length was about 2.7 meters (excluding the short tail).
Tilacosmil (Thylacosmilus atrox) is a predatory marsupial of the order Sparassodonta, which lived in the Miocene (10 million years ago). Reached the size of a jaguar. The upper canines are clearly visible on the skull, constantly growing, with huge roots continuing into the frontal region and long protective “blades” on the lower jaw. The upper incisors are missing. He probably hunted large herbivores. Thylacosmila is often called a marsupial tiger, by analogy with another formidable predator - the marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex). It died out at the end of the Pliocene, unable to withstand competition with the first saber-toothed cats that settled the continent.
Sarcastodon (Sarkastodon mongoliensis) is one of the largest mammalian land predators of all time. This huge oxyenid lived in Central Asia. The Sarcastodon skull discovered in Mongolia is about 53 cm long, and the width at the zygomatic arches is approximately 38 cm. The body length, apparently, was 2.65 meters, excluding the tail. Sarcastodon looked like a cross between a cat and a bear, only weighing a ton. Perhaps he led a lifestyle similar to that of a bear, but was much more carnivorous, and did not disdain carrion, driving away weaker predators.
Mongoloterium (Prodinoceras Mongolotherium) is a species of mammal of the extinct order Dinocerata, family Uintatheridae. It is considered one of the most primitive representatives of the order.
Terrible Birds(sometimes called fororakosov), who lived 23 million years ago, differed from their fellows in their massive skull and beak. Their height reached three meters, and they were formidable predators. Scientists created a three-dimensional model of the bird's skull and found that the bones of the head were strong and rigid in the vertical and longitudinal-transverse directions, while in the transverse direction the skull was quite fragile.
This means that the fororacos would not be able to grapple with struggling prey. The only option is to beat the victim to death with vertical blows of the beak, as if with an ax. The only competitor to the terrible bird was most likely the marsupial saber-toothed tiger (Thylacosmilus). Scientists believe that these two predators were once at the top of the food chain. Thylacosmil was a stronger animal, but Paraphornis surpassed it in speed and agility.
In the hare family ( Leporidae), also had their giants. In 2005, a giant rabbit was described from the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) and given the name Nurogalus (Nuralagus rex). The size of a dog, it could reach a weight of 14 kg. According to scientists, such a large size of the rabbit is due to the so-called island rule. According to this principle, large species Once on the islands, they decrease over time, while small ones, on the contrary, increase.
Nurogalus had relatively small eyes and ears, which did not allow him to see and hear well - he did not have to fear an attack, because. was not on the island large predators. In addition, scientists believe that due to reduced paws and rigidity of the spine, the “king of rabbits” lost the ability to jump and moved on land exclusively in small steps.
Megistotherium (Megistotherium osteothlastes) - a giant hyaenodontid that lived in the early and middle Miocene (20-15 million years ago). It is considered one of the largest land mammal predators to ever exist. Its fossilized remains have been found in Eastern and Northern East Africa and in South Asia. The length of the body with the head was about 4 m + the length of the tail is supposedly 1.6 m, the height at the withers is up to 2 m. The weight of Megistotherium is estimated at 880-1400 kg.
Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) appeared 300 thousand years ago in Siberia, from where it spread to North America and Europe. The mammoth was covered with coarse wool, up to 90 cm long. A layer of fat almost 10 cm thick served as additional thermal insulation. The summer coat was significantly shorter and less dense. They were most likely painted dark brown or black. With small ears and a short trunk compared to modern elephants, the woolly mammoth was well adapted to cold climates. Woolly mammoths were not as huge as is often assumed.
Adult males reached a height of 2.8 to 4 m, which is not much larger than modern elephants. However, they were significantly more massive than elephants, weighing up to 8 tons. A noticeable difference from living species of proboscis was the strongly curved tusks, a special growth on the top of the skull, a high hump and a steeply sloping rear part of the back. The tusks found to this day reached a maximum length of 4.2 m and a weight of 84 kg. On average, however, they were 2.5 m long and weighed 45 kg.
In addition to the woolly northern mammoths, there were also southern ones without wool. In particular, the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi), which was one of the largest representatives of the elephant family that ever existed. The height at the withers of adult males reached 4.5 m, and their weight was about 10 tons. It was closely related to the six-hundredth mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and came into contact with the northern border of its range. Lived on wide open spaces North America.
The most northern places finds are located in southern Canada, the southernmost in Mexico. It ate mainly grasses and lived like today's elephant species in matriarchal groups of two to twenty animals led by a mature female. Adult males approached the herds only during the mating season. Mothers protected mammoth calves from large predators, which was not always successful, as evidenced by the finds of hundreds of baby mammoths in caves near Homotherium. The extinction of the Columbian mammoth occurred at the end of the Pleistocene about 10 thousand years ago.
Cubanochoerus (Kubanochoerus robustus) – major representative family of pigs of the order Artiodactyl. Skull length 680 mm. The facial part is highly elongated and twice as long as the brain section. A distinctive feature of this animal is the presence of horn-like outgrowths on the skull. One of them, a large one, was located in front of the eye sockets on the forehead, behind it were a pair of small protrusions on the sides of the skull.
It is possible that fossil pigs used these weapons during ritual fights between males, as African wild boars do today. The upper fangs are large, rounded, curved upward, the lower ones are triangular. In size, Cubanochoerus exceeded the modern wild boar and weighed more than 500 kg. One genus and one species are known from the Belomechetskaya locality of the Middle Miocene in the North Caucasus.
Gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus) is an extinct genus of great apes that lived in the territory of modern India, China and Vietnam. According to experts, Gigantopithecus had a height of up to 3 meters and weighed from 300 to 550 kg, that is, they were the largest monkeys of all time. At the end of this Pleistocene, Gigantopithecus may have coexisted with humans species Homo erectus, which began to penetrate Asia from Africa.
Fossil remains indicate that Gigantopithecus was the largest primate of all time. They were probably herbivores and walked on all fours, feeding mainly on bamboo, sometimes adding seasonal fruits to their food. However, there are theories that prove the omnivorous nature of these animals. Two species of this genus are known: Gigantopithecus bilaspurensis, which lived between 9 and 6 million years ago in China, and Gigantopithecus blacki, which lived in northern India at least 1 million years ago. Sometimes a third species, Gigantopithecus giganteus, is isolated.
Although it is not completely known what exactly caused their extinction, most researchers believe that among the main reasons were climate change and competition for food sources from other, more adaptable species - pandas and people. Closest relative from now existing species is an orangutan, although some experts consider Gigantopithecus to be closer to gorillas.
Diprotodon (Diprotodon) or " marsupial hippopotamus" is the largest known marsupial to ever live on earth. Diprotodon belongs to the Australian megafauna, a group of unusual species that lived in Australia from approximately 1.6 million to 40 thousand years ago. Diprotodon bones, including complete skulls and skeletons, as well as hair and footprints, have been found in many places in Australia.
Sometimes the skeletons of females are discovered along with the skeletons of the cubs that were once in the pouch. The largest specimens were approximately the size of a hippopotamus: about three meters in length and about two meters at the withers. The closest living relatives of diprotodons are wombats and koalas. Therefore, diprotodons are sometimes called giant wombats. It cannot be ruled out that the last diprotodons became extinct already in historical times, and also that the appearance of humans on the mainland was one of the reasons for their disappearance.
Deodon (Daeodon) is an Asian entelodont that migrated to North America around the end of the Oligocene era (20 million years ago). "Giant pigs" or "pigwolves" were four-legged land omnivores with massive jaws and teeth that allowed them to crush and eat large animals, including bones. With a height of more than 2 m at the withers, it took food from smaller predators.
Chalicotherium (Chalicotherium). Chalicotheriums are a family of the equid order. They lived from the Eocene to the Pliocene (40-3.5 million years ago). They reached the size of a large horse, which they were probably somewhat similar in appearance to. They had a long neck and long front legs, four-toed or three-toed. The toes ended in large split claw phalanges, on which were not hooves, but thick claws.
Barylambda (Barylambda faberi) - a primitive pantodont, lived 60 million years ago in America, was one of largest mammals Paleocene. With a length of 2.5 m and a weight of 650 kg, Barylambda slowly moved on short powerful legs ending in five fingers with hoof-shaped claws. She ate bushes and leaves. There is an assumption that Barylambda occupied an ecological niche similar to ground sloths, with the tail serving as a third point of support.
Argentavis (Argentavis magnificens) - the biggest known to science flying bird in the entire history of the Earth, which lived 5-8 million years ago in Argentina. It belonged to the now completely extinct family of teratorns, birds that are quite closely related to American vultures, with which it was part of the order of storks (Ciconiiformes).
Argentavis weighed about 60-80 kg, and its wingspan reached 8 m. (For comparison, the wandering albatross has the largest wingspan among existing birds - 3.25 m.) The Argentavis skull was 45 cm long, and the humerus was as long as more than half a meter. Apparently the basis of his diet was carrion.
He could not play the role of a giant eagle. The fact is that when diving from a height at high speed, a bird of this size has a high probability of crashing. In addition, the paws of Argentavis are poorly adapted to grasping prey, and are similar to the paws of American vultures, and not to falcons, whose paws are perfectly adapted for this purpose. Like American vultures, Argentavis's claws were likely relatively weak, but its beak was very powerful, allowing it to feed on dead animals of any size.
In addition, Argentavis probably sometimes attacked small animals, as modern vultures do.
Thalassocnus– incompletely edentate from the Miocene and Pliocene (10-5 million years ago) of South America. Probably led a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
Earth - amazing planet. There is a countless variety of life forms on it, both relatively recent and very ancient. Here is a list of the oldest living things on Earth that will definitely make you feel young.
10. Martialis heureka
Age: 100-120 million years
This rare Amazonian animal has been dubbed the "ant from Mars" because it looks and behaves completely differently than any other species of ant. This is one of the oldest animals on Earth different estimates, it appeared between 100 and 120 million years ago.
Martialis heureka live in the soil and do not have eyes, but nature has endowed them with numerous hair-like projections on the body. They help these strange ants sense vibrations and pressure changes in the surrounding soil.
9. Frilled Shark
Age: 150 million years
One of the oldest living members of the shark family. In 2007, a frilled shark was caught near Tokyo, which is very strange, because usually these predators live at a depth of 600-1000 meters. Scientists assumed that the female was sick, which is why she rose to the surface. The caught shark, despite careful care, lived only 2 days.
Special chemical and physiological adaptations allow the frilled shark, which is more like a snake or an eel, to survive at depths where not only humans, but also many marine inhabitants have no access.
8. Shchitni
Age: 200 million years
Perhaps one of the distant great-great-great (and many, many more “great-great”) great-grandfathers of these freshwater crustaceans saw a living dinosaur with his own eyes. Or the only continent at that time - Pangea.
The scutum is a very small animal, 2 to 4 millimeters long, that can survive even in the harshest geological conditions. Scuttlefish eggs can lie dormant for several years until conditions are right for hatching. And even the cannibalism inherent in shield insects could not destroy this species.
7. Sturgeon
Age: 200 million years
These largest freshwater fish are found in North America and Eurasia and are one of the oldest species of animals belonging to the class of bony fishes.
However, due to the production of expensive black caviar, which has an exquisite taste, sturgeon fish are under threat of destruction. Over 15 years, the number of sturgeon fish in the Caspian Sea alone has decreased by 38.5 times
6. Coelacanth
Age - 360-400 million years
This ancient fish is one of the rarest and most endangered fish in the world. For a very long time it was believed that the coelacanth was an extinct species, but in last years these fish were found in Indian Ocean.
Giant coelacanths grow up to 190 cm in length and live at a depth of about 100 meters. They have electrosensory organs that help detect the presence of prey, and the structure of the lobed fins is unique and not found in any other modern fish.
5. Horseshoe crab
Age - 230-450 million years
This strange crab, looking more like a facehugger from Aliens when turned upside down, was a contemporary of the most ancient dinosaurs. Despite its name, the horseshoe crab (aka horseshoe crab) is not a crab, but an arachnid. Its closest relatives were trilobites.
The body of the horseshoe crab reaches 60 cm in length and consists of two sections: the cephalothorax and abdomen. Both parts of the back are protected by a powerful shell, greenish-gray in color. Excellent camouflage against the background of silt. And on the tail needle there are spiny protrusions that help the horseshoe crab balance in the water during strong currents. The tail is also needed to “plow” the seabed in search of food and as a lever if the horseshoe crab suddenly capsizes. Alas, it does not always work.
It floats amazing creature funny - belly up, using its own shell as a boat.
4. Nautilus
Age - 235-500 million years
One of the last representatives of very old group shellfish According to various estimates, this cephalopod appeared on Earth from 500 to 235 million years ago and is older than many species of dinosaurs. Thus, the nautilus is rightfully called a living fossil.
Its beautiful spiral shell could probably arouse the envy of modern cephalopods, deprived of such a luxurious shelter. Fortunately, this feeling is unfamiliar to them.
About 90 small tentacles, arranged in a circle around the mouth, help the nautilus to catch prey and repel attacks from enemies.
3. Medusa
Age - 505-550 million years
It is the most primitive aquatic animal (after the second most ancient animals on Earth). A jellyfish never has a headache, because it has neither a brain nor a nervous system, but it does have primitive digestive and sensory organs.
90% of a jellyfish's body is made up of water, giving it a clear, jelly-like appearance. But don’t be fooled by its apparent harmlessness. Many types of jellyfish are poisonous. And the most dangerous of them is the box jellyfish. Its venom can kill an adult human and many large animals almost as quickly as. Moreover, the victim dies within 2 to 15 minutes from severe painful shock or cardiac arrest. The box jellyfish is also known as one of the most transparent animals on planet Earth.
2. Sponges
Age - 580 million years
Who lives at the bottom of the ocean? These are sponges - one of the most primitive animals that are similar to plants.
They are nothing more than an aggregation of cells and have no internal organs or body parts. Sponges live in sea and fresh water. Some of the most famous types of sponges are corals. There are about 8 thousand species of sponges in the world. So SpongeBob, the famous cartoon character, has a huge number of living relatives with a very ancient pedigree.
1. Cyanobacteria
Age: 3.5 billion years
You've never seen this tiny bacterium, but it's one of the top 10 living organisms that have existed the longest on Earth. And it is precisely this that is one of the reasons why life on our planet became possible. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are probably the first living organism to appear on Earth. It is a photosynthetic microorganism that lives in large colonies and produces oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Thanks to their activities, according to scientists, an “oxygen catastrophe” began - a change in the composition earth's atmosphere. This process began about 2.4 billion years ago and caused the restructuring of the biosphere and the global Huronian glaciation.
Today, cyanobacteria are one of the main sources of oxygen in the world. And thus support the existence of all other oxygen-breathing life forms.
The world's oldest animals that are still extant when most of their counterparts are long extinct are called living fossils. Studying these animals gives scientists more information about evolution and successful survival strategies used in the animal kingdom.
Once upon a time, ancient animals lived on our land. The cave lion is one of them. He became the ancestor of modern lions. We will tell you what a cave lion was like in those distant times in our article.
In ancient times, our planet was inhabited by amazing animals. Some of them are not at all similar to modern inhabitants of the Earth. But scientists believe that all modern animals descended from those same fossil ancestors. Today, thanks to computer technology, we can easily see what the ancestors of modern animals looked like, although only ancient people saw them with their own eyes, who left memories of these animals only in rock paintings.
The cave lion is one of these ancient animals. He is an ancient representative of the cat family, the order of carnivores and belonged to the genus panther. Scientists around the world have the opportunity to study this representative of the ancient fauna only from the remains of bones that are discovered during excavations.
How did scientists “get to know” the cave lion?
On the territory of the current Russian region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in 1891, a scientist named Chersky found the femur of some large beast of prey. At that time, the scientist concluded that the fossil remains belonged to a representative of ancient tigers. After this discovery on long years the ancient “tigers” were forgotten...
Until, almost a hundred years later, Nikolai Vereshchagin made a statement that these bones belong to the descendants of lions, not tigers. A little later, he wrote the book “The Cave Lion and Its History in the Holarctic and within the USSR,” in which he described all his finds and research results.
Appearance of an ancient animal - a cave lion
Having modeled the skeleton of the animal from the remains, scientists determined that the height of the cave lion was about 120 centimeters at the withers, body length - 240 centimeters (excluding tail length). Cave paintings show that the mane of these ancient felines was not very impressive. Hair like modern African lions, cave lions couldn't boast. The wool was monochromatic. The tail was decorated with a small tassel.
Where and when did cave lions live?
The appearance of this species of mammal is attributed to a period of about 300 thousand years ago. At that time in the territory modern Europe The cave lion was first identified as an independent subspecies. This ancient animal inhabited the entire area of the northern part of the Eurasian continent. Its habitat was modern Chukotka and Alaska, as well as the Balkan Peninsula.
Archaeological excavations have allowed scientists to prove the habitation of lions in the territory of modern countries, such as England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria. The territory of the former Soviet republics (USSR) was also inhabited by these ancient animals. Rock paintings were found near Odessa and Kyiv.
Cave lion lifestyle
Cave lions lived in prides, just like theirs. Although this lion is called a cave lion, in fact, it was rarely found in caves. This shelter was primarily intended for wounded or dying individuals who needed privacy. That is why so many remains are now found in caves.
What did the ancestors of modern lions eat?
The main food for these predators were large ungulates of that period: antelopes, deer, wild bulls and horses. Sometimes their prey was small bear cubs or giants
For many millions of years, our planet has been inhabited by living beings, changing and adapting to the environment, due to which new species have appeared. Most of These creatures remained in the past, having disappeared from the face of the Earth for some natural reasons long before the advent of man. Such living creatures are also called ancient or prehistoric animals.
However, many representatives of the animal world managed to survive to this day. Moreover, they were able to preserve their original appearance unchanged, the same as it had been for many, many centuries. Such animals are considered true "living fossils", compared to which Homo sapiens, who appeared only about 200,000 years ago, may well be considered an inexperienced "newcomer".
Ants
Ants (lat. Formicidae) - are considered the most ancient creatures living on Earth - about 130 million years old.
These insects have managed to survive to this day, practically retaining their original appearance. In addition, ants are also considered one of the smartest and strongest animals on the planet. Probably like this extraordinary abilities and allowed the ants to survive.
Platypuses
Platypus (lat. Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a mammal that belongs to the only modern representative of the platypus family and is one of the most ancient living creatures.
Although classified as mammals, it is similar to reptiles. These animals have existed for about 110 million years and during this time they have changed little, maybe just become a little larger. As scientists have established, platypuses lived in South America and from there (by swimming) reached Australia.
Echidna
Australian echidna (lat. Tachyglossus aculeatus ) is another representative (like the platypus) from the order of Monotremes.
Externally it resembles a porcupine. There are only 3 genera in the echidnova family, one of which is already extinct. The remaining representatives of the two genera ( and ) inhabit Australia, the islands of New Guinea, Tasmania and some small Bass Islands. Echidnas, like platypuses, have remained virtually the same over the 110 million years of their existence.
Golden spider
Spider (lat. Nephila) is the most ancient spider living on Earth.
These arthropods appeared on our planet about 165 million years ago. They became famous thanks to their strong and large golden web. The golden weaver is a resident of Australia, Asia, Africa, Madagascar and America.
Hatteria
Hatteria, or tuatara (lat. Sphenodon punctatus) is a medium-sized nocturnal reptile (about 75 cm in length), the only modern representative the oldest order of beaked heads (lat. Sphenodontida).
Externally, this lizard looks like a large iguana. Hatterias are very few in number and survive only on some of the small islands of New Zealand. Over the 220 million years of its existence, this ancient inhabitant has remained unchanged. It is worth noting that the hatteria loves to live in the same hole with the petrel. When the bird returns “home” to roost for the night, the tuateria goes in search of prey.
Shchiten
Shield (lat. Triopsidae) is a small (from 2-3 to 10-12 cm in length) freshwater crustacean from the branchiopod class.
Its history of existence is quite impressive - it appeared about 220-230 million years ago, i.e. along with dinosaurs. However, despite such an impressive period, they remain little studied. Take his nauplial eye, for example - its function is still unknown to this day.
Crocodile
Crocodile (lat. Crocodilia) is an ancient reptile from the class of reptiles.
Crocodiles appeared on Earth approximately 250 million years ago (Triassic period) and have remained virtually unchanged since then. We can say that the crocodile and the dinosaur are relatives, cousins. Among living creatures, birds are considered their closest relatives. The Greek name "κροκόδειλος", which translates as "pebble worm", was given to crocodiles due to their hard, bumpy skin.
Cockroach
Cockroaches ( Blattoptera, or Blattodea) - insects from the order cockroaches.
One of the oldest insects living on our planet - about 320 million years old. Today there are more than 4,500 species. Interestingly, the remains of cockroaches are the most numerous (among insects) in Paleozoic deposits.
Coelacanth
Coelacanth (lat. Latimeria chalumnae) is a fish belonging to the only modern genus of lobe-finned fish.
This is the oldest animal that appeared on Earth about 300-400 million years ago. It hasn't changed much since then. The arrangement of organs, unusual for modern species, makes it a unique and even relict animal. And its network electro-sensory system is characteristic only of this type of living beings.
Neopilina
Neopilina (lat. Neopilina) is the oldest cephalopod, appearing about 355-400 million years ago.
Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1896
And all this time their appearance remains unchanged. Scientists were able to establish that these living creatures did not become extinct only in the middle of the 20th century. These mollusks live at depths from 1800 to 6500 meters in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crabs (lat. Xiphosura) is a marine arthropod, which got its name from the long spine that is located in the back of its body.
Appeared on our planet about 450 million years ago. Body length – 70-90 cm. Lives in equatorial and tropical waters. Horseshoe crabs are rightfully considered “living fossils.”
We have already talked about strange, huge and very dangerous dinosaurs and others millions of years ago, but in fact, some of these animals have survived to this day. Having undergone minor changes, or without changing their appearance at all, some of these creatures have taken root perfectly in modern world. From the fearsome descendants of deep-sea prehistoric sharks to a species of ant that has been around for 120 million years, today we tell you about twenty-five prehistoric animals that still exist today.
25. Tadpole shrimp
The seabill, officially known as Triops longicaudatus, is a freshwater crustacean that resembles a miniature horseshoe crab. They are considered a living fossil because their basic prehistoric morphology has changed little over the past 70 million years, closely matching the bodies of their ancient ancestors who inhabited the Earth until approximately 220 million years ago.
24. Lampreys
The lamprey is a jawless fish characterized by a serrated, funnel-like suction cup mouth. Although they are well known to burrow their teeth into the flesh of other fish to suck blood, only a small number of the 38 known species actually do this. The oldest fossilized skeleton of a lamprey was found in South Africa and dates back approximately 360 million years ago, but it undeniably bears striking similarities to modern specimens.
23. Sandhill crane
The sandhill crane, endemic to North America and northeastern Siberia, is a large and heavy bird, weighing up to 4.5 kilograms. A fossil skeleton more than 10 million years old found in Nebraska is believed to belong to a sandhill crane, but scientists are not sure if it is the same species. However, another sandhill crane fossil dates back to 2.5 million years ago.
22. Sturgeon
Sturgeon, found in rivers, lakes and coastal waters of the subtropical, temperate and subarctic zones, is sometimes called a "primitive fish" because its morphological characteristics remain virtually unchanged from the oldest fossil of the species found, which is approximately 200 million years old. Unfortunately, overfishing, pollution and other forms of habitat destruction have brought these fish to the brink of extinction, with some species already on the brink of extinction.
21. Chinese giant salamander(Chinese giant salamander)
The Chinese giant salamander, the largest salamander and amphibian in the world, can reach a length of 180 centimeters. As a living member of the Cryptobranchidea family, which originated 170 million years ago, this unique creature is also considered a critically endangered species due to habitat loss, pollution and overharvesting, as it is considered a delicacy and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
20. Ant from Mars (Martialis heureka ant)
This species of ant was discovered in 2000 in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. It is notable for its unusual morphology. Ant from Mars, one of the oldest known a separate family, which branched off from the ancestors of all other ants, is estimated to have roamed our planet for approximately 120 million years.
19. Goblin shark
The goblin shark, whose body length can reach up to 4 meters in adults, is a rare and poorly studied species of deep-sea shark. Its strange and scary appearance suggests that this creature has its origins in the prehistoric era. The first direct ancestors of the goblin shark lived on Earth 125 million years ago. Despite the frightening appearance and big size, this type of shark is practically harmless to humans.
18. Horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crabs are marine arthropods that live primarily in shallow ocean waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. The horseshoe crab is considered the closest relative of the legendary trilobite and is among the best-known living fossils that have remained virtually unchanged for an astonishing 450 million years.
17. Echidna
Along with the platypus, the echidna is the only surviving mammal that lays eggs. Scientific research indicate that echidnas split from platypuses approximately 48 to 19 million years ago. Their common ancestor was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life on land. Because of her very unusual appearance The echidna was named after the "Mother of Monsters" in Greek mythology.
16. Hatteria (Tuatara)
Hatterias, endemic to New Zealand, grow up to 80 centimeters in length and are distinguished by a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. Although they look like modern reptiles and lizards, their body structure is believed to have remained unchanged for 200 million years. For this reason, the hatteria is of great interest for the study of the evolution of both lizards and snakes.
15. Frilled shark
Found at depths of 50 to 200 meters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the frilled shark is another scary-looking marine living fossil. This shark species belongs to one of the oldest shark lineages still in existence, which has been around since at least the end of Cretaceous period(95 million years ago) and perhaps even since the end of the Jurassic period (150 million years ago).
14. Alligator snapping turtle
Commonly found in the waters of the southeastern United States, snapping turtles are one of two extant genera of the snapping turtle family, a prehistoric family of turtles with centuries-old history fossils dating back to the Maastrichtian stage (72 - 66 million years ago) of the Late Cretaceous period. Weighing up to approximately 180 kilograms, the snapping turtle is the heaviest freshwater turtle in the world.
13. Coelacanth
Endemic to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and Indonesia, the coelacanth is a genus of fish that includes two modern looking approximately from the coelacanth family (Latimeria). These species were considered extinct until they were rediscovered in 1938; they are more closely related to lungfish, reptiles and mammals than with ordinary ray-finned fish. The coelacanth is thought to have evolved into approximately its current form approximately 400 million years ago.
12. Giant freshwater stingray
Giant freshwater stingray, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, grows to almost 2 meters in diameter and can reach 600 kilograms of weight. Its thin, oval disc pectoral fin, is estimated to have evolved approximately 100 million years ago. Like most of the animals on this list, this species is also critically endangered due to overcapture for meat and aquarium display, as well as habitat degradation.
11. Nautilus
Found in the deep slopes of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and western central Pacific Ocean, the nautilus is a pelagic mollusk. Fossils found show that this creature has lived on Earth for an incredible 500 million years, meaning it has survived several mass extinctions and major changes to the planet. But then again, this is probably the closest this species comes to being wiped out forever due to callous human activity and overfishing.
10. Medusa
Found in every ocean from the surface to the deep sea, jellyfish may have settled in the world's seas as early as 700 million years ago, making them the oldest multi-organ animals. The jellyfish is probably the only species on this list whose numbers may be increasing worldwide as a result of overfishing. natural enemies. However, there are also some endangered species of jellyfish.
9. Platypus (Platypus)
This egg-laying animal with the beak of a duck, the tail of a beaver and the paws of an otter is often considered the strangest thing in the world. Not surprisingly, his appearance dates back to the prehistoric era. While the age of the oldest platypus skeleton fossil found by scientists on this moment, is only 100,000 years old, the first ancestor of the platypus lived on the supercontinent Gondwana 170 million years ago.
8. Elephant shrew
Widely distributed throughout southern Africa, long-eared jumpers are small, four-legged mammals that resemble rodents or opossums but are, ironically, more closely related to elephants. According to the fossil record, the first ancestors of this strange creature lived during the Paleogene period (66 - 23 million years ago).
7. Pelican
Surprisingly, these large waterfowl, with their huge and long beaks, are among the living fossils that have changed little since prehistory. The fossil record shows that the pelican genus has existed for at least 30 million years. The oldest fossilized skeleton, found in early Oligocene sediments in France, bears a striking resemblance to the bird's modern form, with a beak morphologically identical to that of extant pelicans.
6. Mississippi Alligator Gar
Mississippian shellfish, one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, are often called "primitive fish" or "living fossils" due to the fact that they retain some morphological characteristics of their earliest ancestors, such as a spiral valve and the ability to breathe air. and in the water. The fossil record traces the existence of the carapace to more than 100 million years ago.
5. Sponge
It is difficult to measure exactly how long sea sponges have existed on our planet, as estimates vary widely, but the oldest evidence for their existence is sea sponge, appears to be a fossilized skeleton recently discovered in a 760-million-year-old rock.
4. Slithertooth (Solenodon)
Snap teeth are poisonous, leading night image life of burrowing mammals. This small creature, endemic to several Caribbean countries, is often called a living fossil because it has remained virtually unchanged over the past 76 million years, retaining the primitive mammalian characteristics typical of its prehistoric ancestors.
3. Crocodiles
Unlike sawtooths and many of the other animals on this list, crocodiles actually resemble dinosaurs. Including crocodiles, alligators, caimans, gharials and gharial crocodiles, this group appeared approximately 250 million years ago in the Early Triassic period and their modern descendants still have many common morphological features their distant ancestors.
2. Pygmy right whale
The pygmy whale, thought to be extinct until 2012 when it was rediscovered, is the smallest of the baleen whales. Since it is a very rare animal, little is known about its population or social behavior. What we do know is that the pygmy whale is a descendant of the Cetotheriidae, a family of baleen whales that existed from the late Oligocene to the late Pliocene (28 - 1 million years ago).
1. Black-bellied disc-tongue frog (Hula painted frog)
Even frogs also have living fossils. Like the pygmy whale, the black-bellied disc-tongue frog was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2011. The frog was originally thought to have existed for only 15,000 years, however, based on phylogenetic analysis, it has been estimated that the frog's last direct ancestor existed approximately 32 million years ago, making the black-bellied disc-tongue frog the only extant member of the genus.