30 oldest animals on the planet
These creatures do not seem a day of more than 200,000,000.
Earth, on its history of 4.5 billion years, has crossed five major extinctions. You have probably learned from at least one: the crust extinction, the fifth and last recent event (relatively speaking), which eliminated more than half of life on earth, including dinosaurs. And yet, despite such an organic tumult, some species have proved particularly skilled at bad weather of all that global throws - and not only the crusty extinction (65 million years ago), but the triasic extinction (210 million) and the extinction of permian (250 million), too.
It is true, there are creatures on earth that make the existence of humans (44,000 years) little more than a comparative blip on the chronology of the eukaryotic history of the planet. In fact, paleontologists and geologists have so far gone to meditate the term "live fossils", which addresses its sharp precision: like fossils, they were here well before us - and they will be here long after the end of our departure. And for more fascinating facts of the animal kingdom, do not miss the23 small animals on the planet.
1 Sandhill crane
Nature scientists converse estimation that the elegant sandhill crane can be found to the greatest number of10 million years since. To put this in perspective, the majority of today's bird species are just about 1.8 million years old. These freshwater birds - are one of the attachment of the relatively small types of animals that seems for life, after making a dance elaborate with the jumping coupling and jerkhead.
2 Lice
Cue the terrible memories of your childhood of your mother breaking the peanut butter, the mayonnaise or another sticky substance on your hair in a desperate attempt to get rid of these pesky nits. Apparently, the human race has been prey to lice as long as we can remember it; The scientists of the Florida Museum of Natural History believe that parasitic insects without wings have been around, in one form or another, for20 million years. And for animal anxities more intriguing, do not miss these50 amazing animal facts.
3 Purple frog
Alternatively known as Frog Pigniosis, this amphibian bearing is quite unique and not only because of its form of washer and strange purple hue. It is estimated that the subterranian violet frog, which was dug for the first time in India in 2003, has evolved at least50 million years Before any other frog in the country.
4 Echidna
Difficult bound to the ornithoryny, the thorny but adorable echidna is another Australian native that is one of the few mammals for laying eggs. (Another fact that makes these adorable guys: Echidnas babies are called "pongs". Takethis, puppies and kittens.) The echidnas have been thought to have existed for50 million yearsAnd have been named after Echidna, a Greek mythological figure known as "Mother of Monsters". If this title will not convince you, this Greek version of the myth - a woman of harmful serpentine - is not as cute as the real animal.
5 Crocodile
An intelligent carnivore, the crocodile has many adaptations that have equipped it to last on the earth for55 million years, including a valve that allows the reptile to open its jaws underwater - better eat a prey. And yes, the crocodile is different from the alligator-gators will have more muzzle and live in freshwater environments, while the fangs have U-shaped muzzles and live in salty waters. And to know which state is home to the only place where crocodiles and alligators coexist, do not lackThe craziest thing on each American state.
6 Cow crisis
Despite the "cow", we will not suggest trying to milk this guy. Sometimes also also called Sixgill sharks (most sharks have only five gills, so it's a worthy attribution anomaly), these animals are among the most primitive of the ocean sharks, at least thought60 million years old. We know a lot about these creatures, because they usually prefer to hide much more deeply in the ocean than most divers of adventurning.
7 Giant Freshwater Stingray
Unlike its peers in the ocean surf, this life of scarecly gargantuic specimens than in fresh water, an occasional appearance in Thailand, New Guinea and the rivers of Australia. These rays, which can push more than 1,300 pounds, are considered at least60 million years, cornAs indicated by National Geographic, concrete information Safore are known about them.
8 Frank shark
This blurred shark and their blesses are not as beautiful as you think. The "Forilled" part of its name is in fact reference to its gills, which are each tinted in a "bright red fringe". With 300 teeth in the form of tridoyant, these sharks resembling snakes are nothing less frightening - and they slipped through the depths of the ocean for at least at least95 million years.
9 Bee
The first ancestors of today's bees were judged started to buzz almost100 million years since. Today, there are more than 16,000 species of bees and scientists can not quite say that one of them has come first. According to the combination of bee improvement and the bee breeder, the bee of today have specifically evolved with a primitive form of hunting wasps that have decided to make the Food switch to judge on other insects to dinner on Nectar.
10 Platypus
The ornithoryrynque - a duck footing, a pied-to-balloon, an egg leaves, a strange creature all around - is one of the most curious animals in the world; It is one of the few mammals of laying eggs rather than give birth to young live. Ornithorynins (the technically correct plural term, by the way) are considered as110 million years Old, by easy making them the oldest mammals of Australia.
11 Green sea turtle
Similar to his narrow cousin, the turtle, the green sea turtles were probably around since the age of the dinosaurs, or about110 million years. Preferring Rove in warmer waters, the sea turtles pass the majority of their time in the ocean, as we could expect - but women still lay their eggs on earth. Once the babies turtles hatch, they bring back their way to the ocean, starting the more cycle.
12 Martialis Huereka
Say that three times, fast. When an evolutionary biologist discovered this variation of the ant in the 2008 Amazon forest, he postulated that it was one of the first descendants of the first ants of the world, making the species almost120 million years old. The biologist called themMartialis Huereka, Where"Mars Ants" In tribute to their set of bizarre characteristics (flolab, blind, blind and large mandible) which are replicated in any other ants.
13 Goblin shark
Sharks are certainly scary, but what about a shark that can push his jaw to the mouth to get the extra edge and scours his prey? We must say that the Goblin shark could be in a frightening league alone. Goblin sharks, who greeted from the prehistoric era, about125 million years There was, was discovered for the first time on the Japanese coast. The shark has been appointed to look like its long muzzle at mythical creatures of Japanese folk demons demons - reflecting the "Goblin shark" or, on occasion, "elfin shark" in English. And if you find yourself face to face with one of these guys,The experts say what to do if you are attacked by a shark.
14 Tutara
You can only find these reptiles like lizard reptiles ititing the islands of New Zealand - and nowhere else, just as they do for200 million years. The biggest threat to Tuatara is the invasive rat species that swept the islands, eating tutara eggs and young people. Although with an incredible average life of 60 years, Tuatara is considered endangered and has been since the 19th century, mainly because of the predation of the rat.
15 Turtle
You know what they say: slow and steady wins the race of life, apparently. Although there are multiple variations in stature and stripes, the giant turtle of the galapagos to the turtle radiated in a critical way of extinction, the basic structure of these amblings, the reptiles easy to live do not have much diverted from what their ancestors looked like200 million years since. And find out more about how a species of turtle has been saved from being on the point of total elimination, check the15 animal species miraculously saved from extinction.
16 Sturgeon
A long fish that can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, the sturgeon releases a little severe appearance with its barbbs resembling the mustache, which it uses to feel and sniff food. Considered "living dinosaurs", these fish remained relatively unchanged because they first swam on the stage more than200 million years There is - but because of overfishing, sturgeons are now in danger of extinction.
17 Tadpole shrimp
Although their name can be a bit misleading, these creatures are 100% crustacean - their long forked tails, do them justsee like amphibic tadpoles! Believed to be at least220 million yearsOld, the shrimp of Tadpole have clearly existed this long duration because of their incredible resilience. They start their lives in superficial pools, but when swimming pools dry, even if it only concerned 2 or 3 weeks, shrimp have already matured and put their next batch of eggs, which can range without hatching.
18 Horse shrimp
Rumors of swimming while the dinosaurs still evolved,250 million years There are horseshoe shrimp are considered as existing oldest shrimp species. These tiny crustaceans, which just become about 4 millimeters long, look almost like miniature models of horse crab.
19 Cockroach
Cockroaches dug on earth since the dinosaurs were around,250 million years There is, proving the belief that cockroaches really,really never Dies. The good news? They are less frightening magnitudes nowadays that they were back in the Mesozoic era, where they thought they were able to fly for long periods of time.
20 Lamprey
Possessing an objectively terrifying mouth, featuring a layer on layer of pointed and pointed teeth, with a pair of incongruous blue eyes, the lamprey resembling eels is a creature inducing chills. These crooking creatures of the flesh, it is believed that the creatures to suck blood were to slitherize through the ocean for more than more than360 million years. And for nightmares straight out of the seven seas, learn the20 bizarre marine creatures that look like what they are not real.
21 Coelacanth
For centuries, paleontologists believed that the coelacanth-acid fish by the lobe with genetic ties surprisingly close to humans - was an extinct species, having "disappeared" 66 million years ago with dinosaurs. However, a living coelacanth has been identified in 1938 on a wharf of South Africa and the400 million years The fish is back on the list of oldest living species since.
22 Elephant shark
Elephant shark, orC. Milii, is not in fact a shark at all, but a group member known as fish fish separated from the sharks almost400 million years since. Today, the genome of the Shark elephant is the closest to that of the first chewed vertebrate - and if you look at this appearance to the outside of the fish fish, it is not difficult to see how it is trouble evolved in its 400 million years.
23 Slime
Anyone who grew up near a body of water recognize the horse crab immediately. TO450 million years Old, this arthropod is older than any dinosaur would be, so it is not surprising that scientists consider it a living fossil. And to find out what state is a habit of looking at these frysière creatures every summer, do not missThe strangest summer tradition in each state.
24 Astonished
These gelatinous seafarers have existed for more than500 million years-All without brains, bones or hearts. And althoughA certain sitcom can have popularizedThe "pee on it" solution, if you are stung by one of these relics, according toHakaimagazine youshould not React immediately as such. Since the chemical composition of the urine of each varies, depending on the factors such as the level of hydration of the person, the best that urine on a sting can do is simply have a neutralizing effect. And for more fear of depths,30 reasons why the ocean is more frightening than space.
25 Nautilus
Another species, such as horse crab, which can claim the title of "living fossil", the Nautilus is a cephalopod, which means that it lacks a spine but has tentacles. Remaining relatively unchanged for more500 million yearsThese creatures are known for their wrapped shells, which actually inspired the inventor of one of the first submarines to the currency of a new invention "Nautilus", a ship name that has been popularized by Jules Verne'sTwenty thousand leagues under the sea.
26 Velvet
Reputed to be at least500 million years Old, velvet worms are characterized by, as its name suggests, their velveen, waterproof exterior. This relative relative parent (better known as bear bear) on smaller invertebrates, emitting a sticky mud to engulf his prey.
27 Brachiopod
We would not blame you if you have confused a brachiopod with a clam - the resemblance is definitely there. But the truth is that these500 million years Marine animals are distinctly unique. This is partially due to their internal structure that looks remarkably at a foot, but is used for feeding and breathing instead of mobility.
28 Sponge
Some claim that these simple and unpretentious animals (yes, similar to your cooking sponge, have porous exteriors that absorbed water to filter the filtration feed), were actually the very first animals on the planet. . While this statement could be a bit difficult to corroborate, marine sponges are at least500 million years old, and there are even evidence, published inAging search Reviews, only one individual member of the sponge family lived more than 11,000 years.
29 Ctenophora
Not to be confused with their cousins, the Jellyfish, Ctenophora (colloquially: frozen comb) are another variation of the creature of the believing sea in the hail of the dawn of time; In fact, some scientists feel that they have been wandering about seven seas for a food525 million years. The most important difference? Peign jokes do not have punctors. They use their "combs" or tiny hairs run from top to bottom on the iridescent bands that radiated their transparent gelatinous bodies, to help them float on the surface of the ocean.
30 Cyanobacteria
Although most of these little guys are not particularly cute and cuddled, cyanobacteria could simply be the least adorable of the lot. These scientists have thought of these photosynthetic and unicellular organisms.3.5 billion years old.
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