Animals that lived before our era. Ancient extinct animals. Continuation of life development

Ethiopian wolf - Canis simensis Ruppell, 1840 (Ethiopian Wolf, Abyssinian Wolf, Ethiopian jackal, red jackal)

The Ethiopian wolf is endemic to Ethiopia. The entire population is concentrated in the mountains of Ethiopia, called the African Alps, at an altitude of 3000 - 4377 m above sea level. The species' current range is limited to seven small areas, five north of the Rift Valley and two south of it, all in Ethiopia. Each of the Ethiopian wolf's habitat "islands" is surrounded by agricultural land occupied by farmers and their livestock.

Ethiopian wolves live in a mountainous region, occupying Afro-Alpine habitats. Distribution is limited to a few isolated areas of meadows and heathland, where vegetation height is less than 25cm. Here are the habitats of mole rats and grass rats - the main prey of the Ethiopian wolf. It is here that the biomass of rodents is maximum and reaches 3-4 thousand kg/sq.km (27-36 pounds/acre)

The Ethiopian wolf is different from other jackal species long muzzle and small teeth. The legs are long. The tail is fluffy. The color of the upperparts is reddish-golden, the spots on the face are white, and the underparts are white. The tail is white at the base and the tip is black.

Ethiopian wolf for a long time was considered a species related to jackals, which it resembles in appearance. It has always been believed that wolves and jackals separated several million years ago. Some scientists believe that the Ethiopian wolf is a descendant of the same ancestors that gave rise to wolves and jackals. DNA analysis has established a relationship between the Ethiopian and gray wolves. There is a hypothesis that the two species separated from each other back in those days of the late ice age when gray wolves left 12,000 years ago Western Europe to Africa. As the ice melted, the wolves became isolated in the Ethiopian mountains.

body length 100cm. Tail length 25-33cm. Height at withers (shoulders) 50-60 cm.

Weight: Males are significantly (about 20%) larger than females. Males weigh 15-19 kg (average 16 kg or 35 lb); females - 11.2-14.2 kg (average 13 kg or 28.7 lb)

Voice: Dogs make several types of vocalizations. Signal calls are issued when a male is seen or smelled, or when unfamiliar wolves are encountered. They begin with a "howl" and end with a series of "squeals". Greetings include menacing "growls", high-pitched "whines" of submission, and "group howls" intended to reunite pack members. Both the “solitary howl” and the “group howl” can be heard up to 5 km and are used for long-distance communication, including with other flocks.

Enemies and threats to the species: The main threats are habitat loss and disease (rabies). Continuous loss of habitats is associated with the development of high mountain Agriculture. Sixty percent of all land above 3,200 m has been converted into farms and therefore the entire Ethiopian wolf population now does not fall below 3,700 m above sea level. Overgrazing by domestic animals negatively impacts the amount of food available to rodents. Some wolf habitats may be threatened in the future by proposals to develop commercial sheep farms and road networks.

Competition with the golden jackal may be a problem in the future. In the northern part of their range, wolves were traditionally persecuted as harmful predatory animals, sometimes attacking lambs.

Local dogs can compete with wolves for food to a certain extent. In addition, they are used by the indigenous (local) population to protect their herds from hyenas. Dogs feed irregularly and wander freely on the plateau, so they often live in the habitat of wolves or constantly invade their fate, thus being a reservoir of rabies for Ethiopian wolves.

Genetic introgression poses a particular threat to the existence of the species: interbreeding with local dogs threatens to contaminate the gene pool of the Ethiopian wolf population.

The life expectancy of the Ethiopian wolf is up to 8-9 years.

Rodents make up more than 90% of the diet of the Ethiopian wolf: these are giant mole rats Cryptomys mechowi, weighing up to 900 g, and African grass rats Arvicanthis niloticus, weighing 90 - 120 g. Only in places with a large population of mole rats and rats is there a high population of wolves.

Sometimes he catches hares. They also hunt small antelopes (reedbuck - Redunca arundinum), mountain nyala antelope calves, etc.

Predation on livestock is extremely unusual. The Ethiopian wolf is sometimes called the "Horse Jackal" by the people of southern Ethiopia because of its noted habit of following mares and cows during calving in order to eat the placenta.

one of the least studied animals from the wolf family with the smallest distribution area. The Ethiopian wolf is diurnal and hunts during the day or at dusk. Adult animals and juveniles (up to nine months) rest and sleep together during the night, large group, curled up into a ball.

All adults gather together to patrol and mark the boundaries of their territory at dawn and dusk. There are strong social bonds between members of the pack, so at every meeting the members of the pack enthusiastically and noisily greet each other.

The den is usually a system of burrows under an outcropping of rock or cliff. The burrows, located in flat grassy areas, have several entrances.

Ethiopian wolves do not hunt together, but singly, each on his own. This distinguishes Ethiopian wolves from other pack predators that hunt together. This difference is due to the fact that Ethiopian wolves feed on small rodents. Wolves look out for their prey (thanks to acute vision) or are discovered (with the help of sensitive hearing) in open areas covered only with short grass. The wolf approaches the rat carefully until it has the opportunity to make the final dash, usually 5-20 m (16.4-65.6 ft) from the prey. The giant mole rat lives underground, underground and appears unexpectedly on the surface only when cleaning its hole and collecting grass for food. This time is enough for the Ethiopian wolf to waylay and grab prey in time with its long, slender muzzle, clearly adapted for such hunting. Loot can be dug out of the ground.

Although the Ethiopian wolf prefers to hunt alone, it is sometimes capable of collective hunting. Observers sometimes noted small flocks successfully hunting young antelopes, lambs and hares.

The Ethiopian wolf very often hides the surplus food it catches in secluded places: usually under heaps of plant debris or buries its prey in the ground. Social structure: Unlike its relatives, the Ethiopian wolf has a very unusual social behavior. Animals live in large family groups of 6-13 individuals, closely related to each other. The largest pack recorded consisted of seven adults and six pups, and the average size pack - seven members.

Usually the flock has the following age structure: up to 6 adults, 1 - 6 same-year-olds, and 1 - 7 puppies. A typical flock is an extended family group formed by all males born into the flock over successive years and 1 to 2 females.

As a rule, male mature Ethiopian wolves remain to live in their native packs even after the onset of puberty. Some young females leave the territory of their flock: for this reason, there are usually more males than females in a flock (ratio up to 2.6:1). A solitary female occupies a small narrow area on the border of the flock's domain with an area of ​​2.4 - 12 sq. km, which is significantly smaller than the usual hunting area. Here they wait in the wings, when, after the death of the dominant female, they will be able to take her place in the pack and begin to reproduce.

Of all adult males, 31% are alpha males (dominants), who are breeders. Some adult subordinate males may subsequently become dominant, replacing the alpha male after death, or may mate outside the pack with other alien females.

Among all adult females, 57% are alpha females involved in breeding. Subordinate adult females do not participate in reproduction, but some may be able to reproduce young during their lifetime.

There is an assumption that Ethiopian wolves live in packs in order to protect their rodent-rich territories from foreign wolves. All members of the flock regularly mark the boundaries of their possessions with urine and feces, reinforcing the significance of such “border posts” with sound signals ( wolf howl) and visual marks, like scratched trees - all this makes it clear to members of other flocks that the boundaries of this area are protected. Competitive rivalry between packs is common, and victory usually goes to the larger pack.

Reproduction: The mating season occurs in winter. Only the dominant female reproduces; other females do not reproduce and only help raise offspring. The female maintains her dominant status until death, after which the beta female, her daughter, begins to reproduce. A dominant female often, in addition to the dominant male of her pack, mates with several males from neighboring packs. Thus, the offspring of a dominant female has several fathers, and such mating behavior helps Ethiopian wolves avoid inbreeding.

Female Ethiopian wolves make their lair in a rocky cave, under a boulder, or rarely, even in open areas. There are not many places to make a good den, so some dens are used by wolves constantly, from year to year.

3-7 dark-colored cubs are born. The female spends the first three weeks almost constantly with the babies, feeding and protecting the babies. Food for the female is brought by other members of the flock. Usually the female makes several dens located at a distance of up to 1300 m from each other, and as they become dirty, she drags the puppies between dens. After three weeks, the puppies molt and acquire the color of adults. At this age, they leave the den for the first time and go to explore the surrounding area. Other females in the pack help care for the young and may even nurse them. At the age of 5 months, puppies switch to food brought by older members of the pack and then regurgitated.

Females can bear offspring no more than once a year. Only about 60% of dominant females successfully breed their offspring. On average, generations of wolves change every 3–8 years, or on average once every 4.5 years.

Breeding Season/Period: The mating season is between August and September. Puppies are born two months later: in October-November.

Puberty: The Ethiopian wolf reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2 years.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 8 weeks (60-62 days)

Offspring: Puppies will be born weighing 200-250 g each. Body coloring is dark; They acquire adult coloration after molting at three weeks of age. At 5 months, puppies begin to accompany their elders on the hunt, learning all the intricacies of hunting tactics.

Youth development can be divided into three stages: 1) early development(from 1 to 4 weeks), when young people are completely dependent on mother's milk; 2) mixed food dependence (from 5 to 10 weeks), when milk is supplemented with solid food regurgitated by all members of the pack until the puppies are completely weaned; and 3) post-milk dependence (from 10 weeks to 6 months), when the puppies subsist almost entirely on solid food provided by pack members.

There is no exploitation of the species for fur or other purposes. The Ethiopian wolf does not pose a threat to humans, nor does it pose a threat to herds of domestic animals. Local population believes that their liver has medicinal properties.

The species is listed in the Red Book as a critically endangered species. The Ethiopian wolf population is estimated at only 340 to 520 individuals worldwide. Their highest population density within the range was about 2 individuals per 1 sq. km.

There are two populations of the Ethiopian wolf - one from the mountain national park Bale Mountains National Park, home to the largest group of Ethiopian wolves - about 250 individuals. On an area of ​​850 sq. miles there is everything necessary for the survival of Ethiopian wolves. The second population consists of only 50-100 individuals, which are scattered in the Arsi and Simeina mountains. The second population is very unstable and declining; it is possible that it will soon decline even more.

Despite all environmental measures, Ethiopian wolves, which sometimes attack farm livestock, are still being shot. Another danger is rabies and canine distemper, which are transmitted from domestic dogs. From 1990 to 1995, 70% of the Ethiopian Bale Mountains wolf population died out from these diseases: out of 440 wolves, fewer than 160 remained. Vaccination of domestic dogs has helped the remnants of the wild population survive. Of particular danger is the threat of hybridization of Ethiopian wolves with domestic dogs, which will disrupt the unique genotype of rare wolves. Since 1974, hunting the Ethiopian wolf has been permitted exclusively for scientific purposes, but over the past 15 years no hunting permit has been issued.

Do you know that...

0.14 kilometers per hour - average speed sloths on the ground

Site search

Let's get acquainted

Kingdom: Animals

Read all articles
Kingdom: Animals

Ethiopian wolf, Abyssinian wolf, red jackal

The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), also known as the Abyssinian wolf, Abyssinian fox, red jackal, Simen fox, or Simen jackal, is a canid native to Africa. The numerous names reflect previous uncertainty regarding its taxonomic position; until recently, the Ethiopian wolf was thought to be closely related to foxes, as it closely resembles them, rather than to the genus Canis (wolves).

The Ethiopian wolf is not only the only representative of its family living in Africa, but also the most rare view, listed in the Red Book. According to some estimates, the total number of the species is approximately 600 individuals.

In body shape and size, the red jackal is very similar to a coyote or fox, with long legs and a long, pointed snout. The male weighs from 16 to 19 kg, which is 20% more than the weight of females. Body length can range from 84 to 102 cm, tail length from 27 to 40 cm.

The upper body and muzzle are painted in a bright red color, the belly, chin, inner side The paws and the inside of the pointed ears are white, and the bushy tail is black. The skin has short hairs and a thick undercoat, which protects the wolf from low temperatures, down to -15 °C. During the breeding season, females become more yellowish, and the young have dark gray coats.

As the name suggests, this wolf is endemic to the Ethiopian mountains, located at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 4,377 meters above sea level. There are currently only seven isolated habitat areas known, with the largest population in Bale Mountains National Park (just over 100 individuals). In 2008, the total population was thought to be only 500 individuals.

The red jackal usually lives in Afro-alpine open meadows, preferring areas with vegetation no higher than 25 cm and a high density of rodents; Ethiopian wolves do not live lower in the hot climate characteristic of this region of Africa.

Despite the fact that the Ethiopian wolf is primarily a solitary rodent hunter, it lives in packs that have their own territory. This is in contrast to most large social predators, which live in groups for the purpose of hunting together. All adult individuals go around and mark their territory early in the morning and in the evening, sleep together, curled up under open air, and help in raising the alpha female's cubs. Members of the same group have a strong social bond and greet each other very emotionally.

Males rarely leave their pack, while females, having reached the age of two, leave their family in order to be able to mate.

Between October and December, the dominant female of the pack gives birth to a litter of usually two to six pups, which spend their first three weeks of life in the den. Up to 70% of all matings occur with males from neighboring groups to avoid inbreeding (incest). Other flock members help guard the den from birds and terrestrial predators. They also regurgitate food for the pups during the first four months of their lives, and subordinate females will even sometimes nurse the dominant female's pups.

The Ethiopian wolf's diet consists almost exclusively of rodents. One study found that rodents make up 96% of all prey, a significant portion of which is the Greater Mole Rat (a species of rodent in the mole rat family). To improve digestion, Ethiopian wolves have been observed eating sedge leaves.

We all know from school that many ancient animals that once inhabited the planet have long since become extinct. But did you know that there are now animals on Earth that saw dinosaurs? And then there are animals that have been around longer than the trees these dinosaurs ate the leaves from. However, many of these ancient representatives of the fauna have remained virtually unchanged over the millions of years of their existence. Who are these old-timers on our Earth and what is so special about them?

1. Jellyfish

The first place in our “rating” is rightfully occupied by jellyfish. Scientists believe that jellyfish appeared on earth about 600 million years ago.
The most big jellyfish, which the man caught, had a diameter of 2.3 meters. Jellyfish do not live long, about a year, because they are a delicacy for fish. Scientists are puzzling over how jellyfish perceive nerve impulses from the organs of vision, because they do not have a brain.

2. Nautilus

Nautiluses have lived on Earth for more than 500 million years. This cephalopods. Females and males differ in size. The nautilus shell is divided into chambers. The mollusk itself lives in the largest chamber, and uses the remaining compartments, filling or pumping out with biogas, as a float for diving to depth.

3. Horseshoe crabs

These marine arthropods are rightfully considered living fossils, because they have lived on Earth for more than 450 million years. To give an idea of ​​how long this is, horseshoe crabs are older than trees.

It was not difficult for them to survive all the known global disasters, practically unchanged in appearance. Horseshoe crabs can rightfully be called animals " blue bloods" Their blood, unlike ours, is blue, because it is saturated with copper, and not iron, like human blood.
The blood of horseshoe crabs has amazing properties - when it reacts with microbes, clots are formed. This is how horseshoe crabs create a barrier against germs. A reagent is made from the blood of horseshoe crabs and used to test medications for purity.

4. Neopilins

Neopilina is a mollusk that has lived on Earth for approximately 400 million years. He hasn't changed in appearance. Neopilins live at great depths in the oceans.

5. Coelacanth

Coelacanth is a modern fossil animal that appeared on our planet approximately 400 million years ago. Over the entire period of its existence, it has remained virtually unchanged. On this moment Coelacanth is on the verge of extinction, so catching these fish is strictly prohibited.

6. Sharks

Sharks have existed on Earth for more than 400 million years. Sharks are very interesting animals. People have been exploring them for many years and never cease to be amazed at their uniqueness.

For example, a shark’s teeth grow throughout its life, the most big sharks can reach 18 meters in length. Sharks have an excellent sense of smell - they can smell blood at a distance of hundreds of meters. Sharks practically do not feel pain, because their body produces a certain “opium” that dulls pain.

Sharks are amazingly adaptable. For example, if there is not enough oxygen, they can "turn off" part of the brain and consume less energy. Sharks can also regulate the salinity of water by developing special means. Shark vision is several times better than that of cats. IN dirty water they can see up to 15 meters away.

7. Cockroaches

These are real old-timers on Earth. Scientists say that cockroaches have inhabited the planet for more than 340 million years. They are hardy, unpretentious and fast - this is what helped them survive during the most turbulent periods of history on Earth.

Cockroaches can live for some time without a head - after all, they breathe with the cells of the body. They are excellent runners. Some cockroaches run about 75 cm in a second. This is very good result relative to their height. And their incredible endurance is evidenced by the fact that they can withstand radiation almost 13 times more than humans.

Cockroaches can live without water for about a month, without water for a week. Their female retains the male's seed for some time and can fertilize herself.

8. Crocodiles

Crocodiles appeared on Earth about 250 million years ago. Surprisingly, crocodiles first lived on land, but then they liked to spend a significant part of their time in the water.

Crocodiles are amazing animals. They don't seem to do anything for nothing. To make food easier to digest, crocodiles swallow stones. This also helps them dive deeper.

There is a natural antibiotic in the crocodile's blood that helps them not get sick. Average duration Their lifespan is 50 years, but some individuals can live up to 100 years. Crocodiles cannot be trained and can be considered the most dangerous animals on the planet.

9. Shchitni

Shchitni appeared on Earth during the period of dinosaurs approximately 230 million years ago. They live almost all over the world, except Antarctica.
Surprisingly, the shields have not changed in appearance, they only became smaller in size. The largest scale insects were found measuring 11 cm, the smallest - 2 cm. If the scale insects are hungry, cannibalism is possible among them.

10. Turtles

Turtles inhabited the Earth approximately 220 million years ago. Turtles differ from their ancient ancestors in that they have no teeth and have learned to hide their heads. Turtles can be considered long-lived. They live up to 100 years. They see, hear, and have a keen sense of smell. Turtles remember human faces.

If the temperature in the nest where the female laid eggs is high, females will be born; if it is low, only males will be born.

11. Hatteria

Hatteria is a reptile that appeared on Earth more than 220 million years ago. Now the tuataria live in New Zealand.

Hatteria looks like an iguana or lizard. But this is just a similarity. Hatterias established a separate detachment - beak-headed. This animal has a “third eye” on the back of its head. Tuttaria have slow metabolic processes, so they grow very slowly, but they can easily live up to 100 years.

12. Spiders

Spiders have lived on Earth for more than 165 million years. The oldest web was found in amber. Her age became 100 million years. A female spider can lay several thousand eggs at a time - this is one of the factors that has helped them survive to this day. Spiders have no bones; their soft tissues are covered by a hard exoskeleton.

The web could not be made artificially in any laboratory. And those spiders that were sent into space spun three-dimensional webs.
It is known that some spiders can live up to 30 years. Biggest famous spider has a length of almost 30 cm, and the smallest is half a millimeter.

13. Ants

Ants are amazing animals. It is believed that they have lived on our planet for more than 130 million years, while practically not changing their appearance.

Ants are very smart, strong and organized animals. We can say that they have their own civilization. They have order in everything - they are divided into three castes, each of which does its own thing.

Ants are very good at adapting to circumstances. Their population is the largest on Earth. To imagine how many there are, imagine that there are about a million ants per inhabitant of the planet. Ants are also long-lived. Sometimes queens can live up to 20 years! They are also amazingly smart - ants can teach their fellows to look for food.

14. Platypuses

Platypuses have lived on Earth for more than 110 million years. Scientists suggest that at first these animals lived in South America, but then reached Australia. In the 18th century, the skin of platypuses was first seen in Europe and was considered... a fake.

Platypuses are excellent swimmers; they easily obtain food from the river bottom using their beaks. Platypuses spend almost 10 hours a day underwater.
Platypuses could not be bred in captivity, but in wildlife Today there are quite a few of them left. Therefore, animals are listed in the International Red Book.

15. Echidna

The echidna can be called the same age as the platypus, because it has inhabited the Earth for 110 million years.
Echidnas look like hedgehogs. They boldly guard their territory, but when in danger they burrow into the ground, leaving only a bunch of needles on the surface.
The echidna does not have sweat glands. In hot weather they move little; in cold weather they can hibernate, thus regulating their heat exchange. Echidnas are long-lived. In nature they live up to 16 years, and in zoos they can live up to 45 years.

I wonder if a person can live on Earth for that long?

For many millions of years our planet has been inhabited by living beings, changing and adapting to environment habitats, due to which new species 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, having 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) – ancient reptile from the class of reptiles.

Crocodiles appeared on Earth approximately 250 million years ago ( Triassic) 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. Unusual for modern species the location of the organs 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 they 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.”

These animals lived through the era of dinosaurs, they witnessed the Ice Age and outlived many of their less fortunate brethren.

Today's selection includes the most ancient animals living on Earth. Surprisingly, over hundreds of thousands of years, the appearance of these inhabitants of our planet has practically not changed.

10. Platypus

Platypuses are mammals, although they have an undeniable resemblance to reptiles. The age of this animal species is about 110 million years. It is believed that the first platypuses appeared on the territory of modern South America, but then migrated to the area that eventually became Australia.

9. Ant

These insects are considered the oldest on the planet. In addition, scientists have long been intrigued by the amazing intelligence of ants and their complex public organization. Over the millions of years of their history, the appearance of ants has undergone virtually no changes.

8. Golden spider

The most ancient of spiders appeared on the planet more than 165 million years ago. Golden weavers are known for their durable webs that have an unusual golden hue. You can meet these ancient spiders in Tanzania, South Africa and in Madagascar.

7. Echidna

The echidna is related to another ancient animal, the platypus. Echidnas and proechidnas live in Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. Unfortunately, one of the three genera of the echidna family has already disappeared from the face of the Earth. And echidnas are included in the number.

6. Shield

This is freshwater crustacean class branchiopods appeared on Earth about 230 million ribbons ago. The size of the shield is from 3 to 10 cm. These creatures have so far been very little studied and therefore are of great interest to scientists.

5. Hatteria (tuatara)

Externally, this reptile resembles an iguana. The size of the hatteria does not exceed 75 cm. The age of these ancient creatures is more than 220 million years. Hatterias are very rare and live on several small islands in New Zealand.

4. Crocodile

These reptiles appeared on Earth about 250 million years ago. Crocodiles can be called the "cousins" of dinosaurs. Surprisingly, crocodiles have a lot in common with modern birds.

3. Coelacanth

This lobe-finned fish is the only surviving species of many that lived on Earth about 300-400 million years ago. The arrangement of the organs of coelacanth is very different from modern fish, which makes her a truly unique creation.

2. Cockroach

These insects live on Earth much longer than you and I - about 320 million years. Modern science More than 4,500 species of cockroaches are known. Helped cockroaches survive during the harshest periods of earth's history amazing ability go for a long time without any food or water.

1. Neopilina

These cephalopods appeared in the Earth's oceans about 400 million years ago. A small but very hardy creature has a shell with a diameter of only 2 cm. It is curious that, unlike modern mollusks, neopilina can be distinguished between the right and left sides.