15 Ancient Creatures That Are Still Alive

15 ancient creatures that are still alive the animals we see around us are only 10 of all species that have ever lived on earth of these animals some have survived the very shifts of earth's geology through evolutionary adaptation and managed to survive extinction for millions of years you won't believe how long some creatures have been roaming the earth but you will find when you join us now and watch 15 ancient creatures that are still alive so climb into your time machine and get ready for some fascinating stuff number 15 sandhill crane number 15 on our list is the sandhill crane found in siberia and parts of north america sandhill cranes are believed to have been in existence for 10 million years and can be understood from their structural similarity with a fossil dating back to the miocene epoch some 10 million years ago whether stepping singly across a wet meadow or filling the sky by the hundreds and thousands sandhill cranes have an elegance that draws attention these tall gray-bodied crimson caved birds breed and open wetlands fields and prairies across north america they group together in great numbers filling the air with distinctive rolling cries mates display to each other with exuberant dances that retain a gangly grace sandhill grain populations are generally strong but isolated populations in mississippi and cuba are endangered sandhill cranes are large birds that live in open habitats so they're fairly easy to spot if you go to the right places sandhill cranes are known for their dancing skills cord and cranes stretch their wings pump their heads bow and leap into the air in at a graceful and energetic dance number 14 frilled shark number 14 on our list is the frilled shark this shark species has hardly changed in appearance in the 80 million years of its existence earning it the appetite of living fossils a deep sea creature this rarely spotted shark has 300 needle shaped teeth frilled sharks are active predators and may lunge at potential prey swallowing it whole even if it is quite large their normal swimming style however is distinctly eel-like as they swim in a serpentine fashion the preferred prey of the frilled shark is squid and they have several rows of long teeth each with three long points that are perfect for snagging the soft bodies of the spray though they specialize on squids frilled sharks are known to eat a variety of fishes and other sharks frilled sharks are only very rarely encountered in the wild so little is known about their ecology the limited information that scientists do have is based on dissection of individuals captured in deep sea net fisheries and observation of the occasional live individual in captivity frilled sharks reproduce by internal fertilization and give live birth however they do not connect to their young through a placenta like most mammals instead embryos live off of energy obtained from yolk sacs and only after the juveniles are able to survive on their own does the mother give birth to their young little is known about the population trends of frilled sharks but they are rarely encountered by humans and are likely naturally rare [Music] number 13 chinese giant salamander number 13 on our list is the chinese giant salamander the largest amphibian in the world the roughly six foot long chinese giant salamander is currently listed as critically endangered by the international union for the conservation of nature fossil records indicate that the animal has undergone little change in 170 million years the chinese giant salamander is the world's largest amphibian growing up to 1.8 meters long with a large tail comprising almost 60 percent of the body length it has even been reported in 1983 that a three meter 70 kilogram salamander was purchased at a local market in china ancestors of the salamander diverged from all over amphibians over 170 million years ago during the jurassic period this makes the giant salamanders one of the most evolutionary isolated families on the amphibian tree of life residing at the tips of a long solitary branch the chinese giant salamander is under immense threat of extinction due to habitat loss water pollution and over-exploitation of wild populations as this species is considered a food delicacy in china and is also used for traditional medicines consequently the species has suffered catastrophic population declines and is listed as critically endangered by the iucn red list number 12. tapper number 12 on our list is the tapper this elusive herbivorous mammal is related to horses in rhinoceros the earliest fossil evidence of tapper dates to over 20 million years ago and they have not changed much since of the five species four are found in central and south america and one in asia four of them are listed either as endangered or vulnerable tappers are large mammals that look like wild hogs with anteater snouts tappers are neither and they are most closely related to horses and rhinos the word tapper comes from an indigenous brazilian language it means thick referring to the animal's hide tappers are a bit of a hodgepodge they are about the size of a donkey they have round bodies short legs and stubby tails sort of look like a hippo their eyes and ears are small they have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot their most distinctive feature is their snout it is flexible like an elephant's trunk however the tapper's trunk is its upper lip and nose tappers can grab things with their trunks somewhat like an elephant they use them to pluck leaves and fruit out of trees and then place these goodies in their mouths when threatened tappers will submerge themselves in a river and use their snouts like a snorkel number 11 horseshoe crab number 11 on our list is the horseshoe crab horseshoe crabs have nine eyes and their hard exoskeleton hides 10 legs named so because of their shape the animal is not actually a crab but a close relative of spiders and scorpions they have been swimming in the earth's waters for over 300 million years and predate dinosaurs they look like prehistoric crabs but are actually more closely related to scorpions and spiders the horseshoe crab has a hard exoskeleton and 10 legs which it uses for walking along the sea floor the body of the horseshoe crab is divided into three sections the first section is the prosoma or head the name horseshoe crab originates from the rounded shape of the head because just like the shoe on a horse's foot the head is round and u-shaped it is the largest part of the body and contains much of the nervous and biological organs the head has the brain heart mouth nervous system and glands all protected by a large plate the head also protects the largest set of eyes horseshoe crabs have nine eyes scattered throughout the body and several more light receptors near the tail the two largest eyes are compound and useful for finding mates the other eyes and light receptors are useful for determining movements and changes in moonlight the other section of the body is the abdomen or apistosoma it looks like a triangle with spines on the sides and a ridge in the center the spines are movable and help protect the horseshoe crab most horseshoe crabs will not even make it to the larval stage before being eaten if the egg survives the larval horseshoe crab will hatch from the egg after about 2 weeks or more horseshoe crabs go through 16 or 17 molts during their development at around 10 years of age horseshoe crabs reach adulthood they are ready to start breeding and will migrate to coastal beaches in the spring a horseshoe crab can live for more than 20 years number 10 crocodilia number 10 on our list is crocodilia the members of this order of reptiles crocodiles alligators caimans and garios among others evolved around 85 million years ago when dinosaurs were dying out what makes crocodilians truly prehistoric is not just their appearance but also the fact that the order is itself an offshoot of the crocodile morpha a group that evolved over 205 million years ago the class crocodilia consists of 22 species of alligators caimans garils and crocodiles worldwide and is most closely related to birds crocodilians are covered with scales a trait they share with reptiles and to some extent with turtles but not with amphibians crocodilians are no longer classified as reptiles but are considered a distinct and a unique evolutionary lineage the class crocodilia crocodilians are carnivorous in diet and females build nests in which to lay eggs during their 215 million year evolutionary history beginning in the middle triassic these magnificent beasts invaded diverse habitats from ocean to swamp from wet tropical forests to cascading mountain rivers today's comparatively small remnant of this once diverse group still live in these areas but their numbers grow smaller with poaching and the continuing unstoppable destruction of their habitat by world overpopulation number nine tadpole shrimp number nine on our list is the tadpole shrimp this shrimp has been in existence for at least 220 million years ago which means it was around when dinosaurs roamed the planet making it one of the oldest living creatures the survival of tadpole shrimps is made possible through an evolutionary process called diapause in which the eggs can remain in a dormant state for up to 27 years until the environment is conducted for them to hatch the long-tailed tadpole shrimp has a broad shield-like carapace covering the front of the body and elongated abdomen tipped with two long tails when full grown they may be about 40 millimeters and are a golden brown color the feathery gills are on the legs three eggs are present on the front of the head potentially widespread it is known to occur in the western states of the u.s as well as the provinces of alberta and kaskachuan the long-tailed tadpole shrimp is also present in parts of asia and south america the long-tailed tadpole shrimp is a resonance of small very temporary pools that form after heavy rainfall or flash floods tadpole shrimps develop rapidly reaching maturity in as little as eight days populations likely consist primarily if not entirely of hermaphrodites that are capable of self-fertilization the long-tailed tadpole shrimp is an ancient species that appears to have gone essentially unchanged for 70 million years number eight twatara number eight on our list is the twatara found only in new zealand but tatara is one of the oldest living reptiles on earth they look like lizards but are completely distinct the lifespan of a twatara can extend up to 100 years in the wild spiky scales run down the back of the tautara and along their tail this is larger in males than in females the crest is made up of triangular folds of skin when displaying it they can flatten it out they have scaly skin which is colored green or brown in color this may change over the course of their life as they shed their skin at least once each year their upper jaw is shaped like a beak they have one bottom row of teeth and two on the top on top of the head twattaras have what is known as a third eye a parietal eye that can see when they hatch but by six months old opaque scales cover it twataras reach up to 31.5 inches long and weigh up to 2.9 pounds females are smaller than males swataras are carnivorous animals they feed upon insects lizards birds bird eggs and frogs adult twataras have also been known to feed upon their young ones as they grow the toitaro's teeth begin to wear down over time they need to take the feeding upon softer foods which they can chew between their gums as the teeth wear down swataras are the only surviving members of the order rincocephalia which mostly existed 200 million years ago number seven nautilus number seven on our list is the nautilus the chamber nautilus is a large mobile cephalopod which is called a living fossil and has been the subject of poetry artwork math and jewelry they have even inspired the names of submarines and exercise equipment these animals have been around for 500 million years even before dinosaurs nautiluses are invertebrates of all the cephalopods nautiluses are the only animal to have a visible shell the shell is not only beautiful but it also provides protection the nautilus can withdraw into the shell and seal it closed with a fleshy trap door called a hood nautilus shells can reach up to 8 to 10 inches in diameter they are white on the underside with brown stripes on its upper side this coloration helps the nautilus blend into its surroundings nautilus is only found in the dimly lit tropical and warm temperate waters of the indo-pacific region in southeast asia and australia number six achidna number six on our list is the echidna a fossil of an echidna dating back 17 million years ago to the myosin epoch reveals that this small anteater endemic to australia tasmania and new guinea has hardly undergone evolutionary change the echidna both short and long peaked is one of the only two mammals that lay eggs echidnas also called spiny ant eaters are walking contradictions they are mammals but they lay eggs they are often classified as long or short beaks but don't have beaks at all in the traditional sense they have fleshy noses that can be either on the long side or rather short they don't really look like true anteaters either and they are not closely related to them they are spiny though their bodies are covered with hollow barbless quills echidnas are very solitary animals but they are not terrestrial and are willing to share their home range with others of their kind they are active during the day but in warmer months they will often become nocturnal to avoid the heat [Music] number five jellyfish number five on our list is the jellyfish jellyfish have no bones so fossils are hard to come by scientists have evidence that these creatures have been bobbing along in the world's oceans for at least 500 million years in fact it is likely the jellyfish lineage goes back even further possibly 700 million years that is roughly three times the age of the first dinosaurs despite their name jellyfish are not fish at all one look at a jellyfish and this might seem rather obvious but they are not actually fish they are invertebrates from the phylum canadaria their bodies are made up of as much as 98 water when they wash ashore they can disappear after just a few hours as their bodies evaporate into the air they have rudimentary nervous system a loose network of nerves located in the epidermis called a nerve set but no brain they also do not have a heart their gelatinous bodies are so thin that they can be oxygenated solely by diffusion but some have eyes some box jellyfish species are among the most venomous creatures in the world they also have several sets of eyes this is one weird creature if you ask me number four turtles number four on our list is turtles turtles belong to one of the oldest reptile groups in the world beating snakes crocodiles and alligators these creatures date back to the time of the dinosaurs over 200 million years ago whoa turtles are easily recognized by their bony cartilaginous shell this super tough casing acts like a shield to protect them from predators some turtles can even tuck their heads up inside their shell for extra protection just like your bones a turtle shell is part of its skeleton it's made up of over 50 bones which include the turtle's ribcage and spine contrary to popular belief a turtle cannot come out of its shell the turtle shell grows with them so it's impossible for them to grow too big for it what a turtle eats depends on the environment it lives in land-dwelling turtles will munch on beetles fruit and grass whereas sea dwellers will gobble everything from algae to squid and jellyfish some turtles are carnivores but grow to eat more plants as they mature turtles are amniotes they breathe air and lay their eggs on land although many species live in or around water these cold-blooded creatures have an extremely long lifespan the oldest ever recorded named tui malila of tonga island passed away at the grand old age of 188. sadly many species of turtle are endangered 129 of approximately 300 species of turtle and tortoise on earth today are either vulnerable endangered or critically endangered according to the iucn threats include loss of habitat poaching and the illegal pet trade number three solenodon number three on our list is the solenodon the venomous mammal native to the caribbean region from a family of other mammals some 76 million years ago in the cretaceous period the last age of the dinosaurs solenodons have a chunky body with short stocky legs various skin glands give it a goat-like odor the elongate head has small eyes and tapers to a long flexible snout adorned with long whiskers its saliva is toxic and enters the prey as the solenoid bites with its incisors solenodons weigh 1.8 to 2.4 pounds and have a body 28 to 39 centimeters 11 to 15 inches long and a shorter tail of 18 to 26 centimeters the coarse fur is dark brown to reddish brown or blackish on the head and back and whitish or buff on the sides the tail and feet are scantly haired found in habitats ranging from forests to scrublands to lenodons are terrestrial although they can climb on the ground they travel in an irregular path with a waddling gate but can run fast for short distances so lenodons forage at night for invertebrates by probing leaf litter and soil with their long snout and tearing apart rotten tree trunks with their powerful front feet and long sharp claws land crabs and snails frocks lizards snakes and bird eggs are also eaten solenodons require much water burrows are excavated in deep hummus but rock crevices caves and hollow tree trunks on the ground are also used as shelters solenodons appear to be island remnants of an evolutionary diversification that included shrew-like members of the extinct family abterno dawn today they are represented by north american fossils some of which dated 65.5 to 55.8 million years ago number two komodo dragon number two on our list is the komodo dragon the komodo dragon is the world's largest and heaviest lizard growing nearly 10 feet long and weighing around 150 pounds though indonesia was widely regarded as their birthplace the discovery of fossilized bones in queensland in 2009 has led scientists to believe that komoda dragons originated in australia roughly 4 million years ago and then dispersed westward komodos have some interesting skill sets and features that may make you want to learn more about them but for the sake of your safety it's best to learn about them in books not by seeing them in person for many years komodo dragons were thought to have deadly bacteria in their spit that can bring down a water buffalo and that was a terrifying thought however upon closer inspection scientists found that instead of deadly bacteria they had venom glands probably not any better if we're being honest a bite from the komodo dragon could cause blood loss paralysis tissue damage pain and an ill-ability to clot water buffaloes and other animals don't stand a chance when a komodo dragon is around humans are not exempt from unfortunate encounters either aside from the fact that they consume around 80 percent of their body weight in one sitting they can also take care of humans and not in the caring kind way at least four people have lost their lives in the last 50 years to a komodo dragon attack fortunately they prefer to raid graves rather than eat live humans which is why indonesians often cover their loved ones graves with rocks they look harmless but the komodo dragon has a few cards up its sleeve that you don't want to see them play number one sturgeon finally the moment you've all been waiting for number one on our list is the sturgeon the sturgeon looks like a primitive fish and has been around for at least 250 million years as fossil records show they are all found in the northern hemisphere they range from sub-tropical to sub-arctic waters in north america and eurasia surgeons mostly live in large freshwater lakes and rivers but some species also travel to the oceans and return to rivers and lakes to breed surgeons are long-lived late maturing fishes their average lifespan is 50 to 60 years and their first spawn does not occur until they are around 15 to 20 years old surgeons ranging from 7 to 12 feet in length are common and some species grow up to 18 feet the largest surgeon on record was a female captured in the volga estuary in 1827 weighing 3 463 pounds and 24 feet long sturgeons have bony plates covering the head and five longitudinal rows of similar plates along the body the tail fin is heterocircle the upper lobe being stronger than the lower their mouths are positioned ventrally and have four barbels most surgeons are anadromous bottom feeders which migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries their diet is composed of shells crustaceans and small fish they migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries many sturgeon leap out of the water usually making a loud splash which can be heard half a mile away on the surface and probably further underwater it is not known why they do this but suggested functions include group communication to maintain group cohesion catching airborne prey courtship display or to help shed eggs during spawning surgeons are valued for their flesh eggs and swim bladder their flesh is sold fresh pickled or smoked caviar consists of the eggs which are stripped from the ripe females who are subsequently released almost all caviar is harvested from dead fish fishermen on the caspian wait until the mature female sturgeon are ready to migrate upstream and lay their eggs once caught the sturgeon will be transferred to a large boat where workers lit her open and remove her eggs the caviar is cleaned to prevent spoilage and then packed up the rest of the fish is sold for flesh their evolution dates to the triassic some 245 to 208 million years ago according to the iucn over 85 of sturgeon species are classified at risk of extinction making them more critically endangered than any other group of species i'm sure you couldn't imagine that certain animal species have been on our planet for so long it's absolutely incredible how they were able to adapt to climate change and everything else that was thrown at them still they exist today i hope this countdown of 15 ancient creatures still alive today was as much fun for you as it was for me join us next time for another fantastic countdown until then have a good one

Channel: Facts Junkie

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Keywords: top 15, top 10, top 5, facts, interesting facts, amazing facts, factsjunkie, lists, sea monsters, ancient creatures, still alive, prehistoric sea creatures, strange animals, life span, recently discovered, oldest animals, frilled shark, nautilus, horseshoe shrimp, sturgeon, coelacanth, horseshoe crab, martialis huereka, jelly fish, sponge, cyanobacteria, mammoth, species, immortal animals, oldest shark, ancient, discovery, animals, creature, in the world, dianasore, shark, Giant Snake

Id: BcRmo2BStqY

Length: 25min 22sec (1522 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 19 2020