Animals have been on the Earth for a pretty long time.
Since the first cell decided to split into two, evolution has given rise to many species.
And while some of them have perished with time, there are some species of animals who
have made this planet their home for a really long time.
Let us look at some of the oldest animal species that we know of.
13.
Goblin Shark.
If ever a creature looks like it belongs in the nightmares of pre-historic people, the
goblin shark would be it.
These really horrid looking sharks are misunderstood though!
They live in the deep seas and actually pose very little danger to humans.
But because of their weird and scary appearances, you might just want to put as much distance
between you and these 13 feet long sharks!
But that does not take away from the fact that these are really old animals and in fact
the first direct ancestors of the goblin sharks used to live around 125 million years ago!
12.
Frilled Shark.
Sharks are terrifying and intriguing creatures.
Their sheer strength, speed and predatorial instincts are just amazing to think about.
And what is interesting is that the oldest surviving member of the shark family was discovered
as recently as 2007!
The frilled shark has been dated to being almost 150 million years old!
And they have lost none of their terrifying features that includes 300 teeth arranged
in a number of rows!
In fact, they have not changed much during the time that they have been on Earth.
Thankfully, the frilled shark sticks mostly to the bottom of the ocean and they are also
pretty rare, so we don’t really encounter those terrifying teeth too often!
But they are found all over the world and the only reason we do not have encounters
with them is because they have never been known to come to shallow waters!
11.
Chinese Giant Salamander.
Salamanders are slimy and icky creatures that you would not want to come near you!
And that goes double for the Chinese Giant Salamanders which are known to grow up to
6 feet in length making them the largest salamanders known to man!
They are also the largest amphibians in the world and they are actually one of the oldest
living species today.
It is believed that they have been on the Earth for 170 million years!
Sadly though, they are not that common now because habitat loss, pollution and over collection
have made them an endangered species.
And yes, we said over collection.
The Chinese Giant Salamanders are considered a delicacy and are also a part of many traditional
Chinese medicine!
10.
Tuataras.
Lizards are pretty fascinating creatures and some of them possess amazing traits that have
developed over time.
But one member of the lizard family is unique because it has actually resisted change for
over 200 million years!
The tuataras are large lizards that are found exclusively in New Zealand and can grow up
to 31 inches!
They can be identified by the spiny crest along their backs, which is a little more
pronounced in males.
And while the tuataras may look like most modern day lizards and reptiles, scientists
say that their body structure has basically remained the same in the 200 million years
that they have been around on the Earth.
Which is why they spend a lot of time studying these lizards to get some clues in understanding
the evolutionary process!
9.
Sturgeon.
At more than 5 feet long and weighing up to 200 kilos, the sturgeon is one really large
fish!
Actually, sturgeon is a common name given to a group of 27 species of fish.
It is found mostly in North America and Eurasia and are one of the oldest known examples of
bony fish.
They are identified by their elongated, spindle like body that is smooth skinned, scaleless
and armored with 5 lateral rows of bony plates!
The sturgeon is found mostly in freshwater and if you look at the number of eggs they
lay, you would probably think they would be pretty abundant!
But sadly, those eggs are harvested as food for humans, and their rampant scourging has
led to the sturgeon being an endangered animal today.
It is estimated that the sturgeon came on to this Earth around 200 million years ago,
and most bony fish today are probably their descendants!
8.
Coelacanth.
The coelacanth is one of the oldest species of fish in the world.
Estimates date them back to about 360 million years!
Sadly though, that hasn’t kept them safe from the perils of extinction and they were
believed to have disappeared from the Earth.
But in recent years, there have been a few sighting of the coelacanth in the Indian ocean.
They usually live around 2300 feet below the water and has electrosensory organs that help
it detect prey.
They have a very unusual fin structure which is not found in any fish known today.
But even though there have been some sightings in the recent times, the coelacanth remains
a critically endangered species today.
7.
Lamprey.
If you ever chance upon a lamprey, you will know where all those scary stories of sea
monsters came to life!
They are creepy eel like parasites with a set of teeth that are designed to give people
nightmares!
They have a circular mouth with hundreds of teeth with which they latch onto fish hosts
and suck the blood out of them.
In fact, Dracula’s got nothing on them!
And if you ever find yourself wishing that the lampreys would just disappear from the
Earth, you would probably be wasting that wish because they have been around for 360
million years!
That’s right!
They are very old and have survived so long simply by drinking the blood of fish!
6.
Horseshoe Crab.
The horseshoe crab is often referred to as a living fossil because of the fact that it
is one of the most ancient animal species in the world.
In fact, most of the animals of the horseshoe family are extinct, but there are still a
few of them around.
They are found mostly in shallow oceans all over the world, but sightings are pretty rare!
They are known for having 9 eyes, out of which only 2 can see.
The others are for sensing light, though how much of that they sense underwater is doubtful!
But interestingly, they can see ultraviolet light!
The name of horseshoe crab has been given to them because of their exoskeleton which
does resemble a horseshoe!
They are said to be around 445 million years old!
5.
Nautilus.
Nautilus is actually a form of mollusc and they are a very old form of molluscs.
They are actually older than many species of dinosaurs and have been around for over
500 million years!
And because of their age, they are also known as living fossils.
The nautilus is characterized by the many chambered shell that they have on their body
with over 100 small tentacles near the opening of the shell.
These tentacles are responsible for helping the nautilus catch prey and defend itself!
Also, they have another defence mechanism which is shrinking back into their shell!
4.
Jellyfish.
Jellyfish is actually one of the oldest living animals on Earth.
And as animals who witnessed pretty much the early stages of evolution, many features found
in later animals are missing from them.
They do not have a brain or a nervous system and have very primitive digestive and sensory
organs.
Also, they are almost 90% water which is what gives them a translucent look.
And as this look is also that of jelly, so that is probably why they were given the name
jellyfish!
Some of the members of the jellyfish family are poisonous and in fact, the box jellyfish
is the most poisonous animal in the world.
Its venom can instantly kill humans and larger animals as well!
So the next time you see a jellyfish, show it some respect because not only can it kill
you, but it is also one of the oldest animals on Earth!
The first jellyfish made an appearance about 505 million years ago!
3.
Brachiopod.
When you look at these small shelled animals, you will probably think that they are just
another clam.
They also have 2 shells which are split into 2 parts but in the case of a brachiopod, these
parts are unequal in size!
But then, you might not get a chance to ever inspect any of them because they are pretty
rare today.
But that does not mean that they are young.
They have been around for over 530 million years and it is believed that they were the
dominant shelled animals in the sea around 488 million years ago!
But then, the Permian mass extinction, or the great dying as scientists call it, came
along and wiped out much of life on Earth, including the brachiopods.
They survived in small numbers after that and you can find them attached to whatever
crevices they can find, but are far from being a dominant species today!
2.
Sponge.
When you look at a sponge, you do not really think of them as animals because they look
more like plants.
But in fact, they are animals, or at least a group of them.
Sponges are basically a collection of cells that decided to come together and they possess
no internal organs or any body parts!
They live in marine and freshwater, and can be pretty amazing to look at.
In fact, every time you admire the beauty of a coral reef, know that they are basically
sponges!
It is believed that sponges came upon this Earth 760 million years ago and they actually
support a lot of marine life.
Interestingly, the way they reproduce is that a part of the sponge breaks off, latches onto
another surface and just begins to grow there!
Pretty interesting, right?
1.
Cyanobacteria.
You may say that they are only bacteria, but they deserve the utmost respect from us.
It is believed that the tiny cyanobacteria, which you cannot even see without a microscope,
is the reason for all life on Earth and they were probably the first living organism to
appear on Earth.
Interestingly, the cyanobacteria is capable of photosynthesis, which means they can make
their own food and also make oxygen in the process!
The cyanobacteria are known to live in large colonies and they are one of the major contributors
of oxygen in the world.
So, not only are they the ones who basically brought us to life, but they are also the
ones who sustain it!
Unbelievable right?
Those kind of numbers kind of make you feel young right?
So, let us show some respect to the original inhabitants of our planet and if you have
ever come across any of these animals, do let us know in the comments below and remember
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