Before humans came and mammals ruled the earth, there was the era of the dinosaurs. If you watched the movie Jurassic Park, surely you think that this one creature is really terrible and maybe we are grateful that they are extinct.
But, that’s not entirely true. This is because not all ancient animals were destroyed by a meteor strike 65 million years ago. Some of them survived, evolved a bit, and became animals that live to this day. Who are they?
1. Crocodiles, their ancestors were present 240 million years ago
crocodile illustration (unsplash.com/Leon Pauleikheff)
This one animal is often dubbed a living fossil because of its similar appearance to dinosaurs. Reported How Stuff Works, the ancestors of crocodiles have appeared since the triassic era or 240 million years ago. Their ancestors were part of a group known as archosaurs.
Archosaurs themselves were not much different from today’s crocodiles, only they were taller. However, the animals thought to be crocodiles first evolved around 95 million years, at the end of the Cretaceous. He was the deinosuchus that is now the forerunner of all crocodiles today.
2. Cassowary, evolved 60 million years ago
cassowary bird illustration (unsplash.com/Daniel Pelaez Duque)
At first glance, it is clear that the cassowary has a direct relationship with the dinosaurs. Reported Departemen of Environment and Science Queenslandthese animals have started their evolution 60 million years ago and left some characteristics of dinosaurs, such as three-clawed feet, respiratory system, and cavities on their heads.
This bird is the third largest bird in the world and one of the bird species that can not fly. Even so, he is a very good swimmer and can kill humans easily. You can find this animal in Eastern Indonesia, northern Australia, and Papua New Guinea.
Also Read: 5 Interesting Facts About Komodo, Dangerous Ancient Reptile Animals!
3. Sharks, creatures that have lived before the time of the dinosaurs
shark illustration (unsplash.com/Wai Siew)
They are one of the first inhabitants of the earth. As a group, they have existed since 450 million years ago. They were present long before the dinosaurs ruled the earth and have even survived five of Earth’s mass extinctions, including the extinction that ended the dinosaur era.
The question is, how can sharks survive for hundreds of millions of years? Reported Live Science, the answer is because sharks can modify their physiology according to their surroundings. This ability allows him to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Also, that’s what makes shark species so diverse and unique.
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4. Horseshoe crab, a forgotten dinosaur that lived 450 million years ago
horseshoe crab illustration (pixabay.com/Goodfreephotos)
Similar to sharks, horseshoe crabs are among the oldest inhabitants on earth. It was present 450 million years ago and made it through five of Earth’s mass extinctions. One thing is different, unlike the well-known shark, the horseshoe crab is not well known and we may not even know it exists. That’s what makes him nicknamed the forgotten dinosaur.
Even though we rarely pay attention to its existence, this one animal has a big role for the world of health. Reported Smithsonian Magazine, horseshoe crab blue blood is used to test for toxic bacterial contamination and is widely used to make medicine. One more interesting thing, even though it has the name crab, this one animal is more closely related to spiders than modern crabs.
5. Tuatara, living fossils that have existed since 240 million years ago
illustration of a tuatara (unsplash.com/Karissa Best)
This one animal may be foreign to your ears, but it is one of the survivors of the mass extinction 65 million years ago and has existed since the early Triassic era. Tuatara come from a group of reptiles rhynchocephalia which appeared 240 million years ago and is the only one that has survived to this day.
Reported The Conservation, the tuatara has sawtooth that can cut the heads of its prey, can live for 100 years, and can remain active in cold temperatures. This is what allows him to survive. One more interesting thing, even though it looks like a lizard, genetically the tuatara has absolutely nothing to do with lizards and even in the anatomy of its teeth, it is very different from lizards.
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