The most ancient creature. The most ancient animals

For many millions of years, our planet has been inhabited by living beings, changing and adapting to the environment, due to which new species have 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.

flickr/James Loesch

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, who 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.

flickr/Haentjens Raphaël - Macropixels

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, such extraordinary abilities allowed the ants to survive.

Platypuses

The 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.

flickr/aus-blick

Although the platypus is classified as a mammal, it has similarities with 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) we reached Australia.

Echidna

The Australian echidna (lat. Tachyglossus aculeatus) is another representative (like the platypus) from the order of monotremes.

flickr/crijnfotin

Externally it resembles a porcupine. There are only 3 genera in the echidnova family, one of which is already extinct. The remaining representatives of two genera (prochidnas and true echidnas) 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

The golden spider (lat. Nephila) is the most ancient spider living on Earth.

flickr/Clicksy

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 of the ancient order of beaked animals (lat. Sphenodontida).

flickr/f0rbe5

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 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 class of branchiopods.

flickr/Costan E

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, shield insects remain poorly studied. Take his nauplial eye, for example - its function is still unknown to this day.

Crocodile

Crocodile (lat. Crocodilia) is an ancient reptile from the class of reptiles.

flickr/e_monk

Crocodiles appeared on Earth approximately 250 million years ago (Triassic period) 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) are insects from the order Cockroaches.

flickr/lerlind

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 that belongs 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. The arrangement of organs, unusual for modern species, makes coelacanth 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, which appeared about 355-400 million years ago.

Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1896

And all this time their 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) are a marine arthropod, which got their name from the long spine that is located in the back of its body.

flickr/The Uprooted Photographer

Appeared on our planet about 450 million years ago. The body length of the horseshoe crab is 70-90 cm. It lives in equatorial and tropical waters. Horseshoe crabs are rightfully considered “living fossils.”

Exactly 75 years ago, off the coast of southern Africa, the oldest fish in the world was discovered - coelacanth, which existed on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. In honor of this event, we invite you to learn about her and other ancient animals and plants that inhabit our planet today.

1. Coelacanth.

It was previously believed that these fish became extinct in the Late Cretaceous (100.5 - 66 million years ago), but in December 1938, curator of the East London Museum (South Africa) Marjorie Courtney-Latimer discovered a fish with hard scales and unusual fins in the catch of local fishermen . It later turned out that this fish lived hundreds of millions of years ago and is a living fossil.

Since this coelacanth was discovered in the Chalumna River, it was named Latimeria chalumnae. And in September 1997, in the waters near the city of Manado, located on the northern coast of the island of Sulawesi, scientists noticed a second species of these fish - Latimeria menadoensis. According to genetic studies, these species separated 30-40 million years ago, but the differences between them are small.

Adult coelacanths can reach 2 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. Photo by: Daniel Jolivet.

Thus, both species have a three-lobed caudal fin, which is characteristic of fish that lived millions of years ago. But main feature coelacanths lie in the fact that their powerful fins move diagonally, like the limbs of land-based four-legged animals. In turn, the hard scales of these fish serve as protection from predators.

Being nocturnal fish, coelacanths spend the day in underwater caves at a depth of 95 to 100 meters, and when evening comes, they emerge from their hiding places and begin to look for food.

Interestingly, these fish do not spawn, but produce up to 26 fully developed young. Their pregnancy is believed to last about a year or more.

2. Ginkgo biloba.

IN wildlife this plant grows only in eastern China. However, 200 million years ago it was distributed throughout the planet, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, in areas with a temperate climate and high humidity. In Siberia of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods, there were so many plants of the Ginkgo class that their remains are found in most deposits of those periods. According to researchers, in the autumn of that time the earth was literally covered with ginkgo leaves, like a carpet.

Then there were 50 species of plants from the ginkgo class, but today there is only one. However, the wild form of even this species may soon disappear. After all, ginkgo biloba grows only in two small areas of China, which today are actively cultivated by humans. That is why ginkgo has been given the status of “endangered species”.

Under favorable conditions, ginkgo can easily live more than 1000 years. It is resistant to industrial air smoke and various fungal and viral diseases, and in addition, it is rarely affected by insects. The tree can reach a height of 30 meters, its trunk is 3 meters in diameter. It has a pyramidal crown shape, which becomes even more magnificent with age. And its leaves, in their shape, resemble the leaves of ancient ferns.

This tree is mentioned in Chinese books from the 17th century. Since that time, in China, Japan and Korea, ginkgo biloba began to be considered a sacred tree and a symbol of endurance and longevity.

In 1730 ancient tree brought to Europe and planted in Milan botanical garden, and about 50 years later it was brought to North America. After this, ginkgo began to be cultivated, and the plant began to appear in gardens and parks around the world.

3. Small deer, or kanchil,- this is not only the smallest (his height at the withers is no more than 25 centimeters, but Weight Limit about 2.5 kilograms), but also the most ancient species of artiodactyls on Earth. These animals existed 50 million years ago, just when orders of ancient ungulates began to form. Since that time, the kanchila has remained almost unchanged and resembles its ancient ancestors more than other species.

It is the primitive features of appearance and behavior that make deer more similar to pigs than to artiodactyls. All species of kanchila lack horns, but have fangs that are used by males in battle. In addition, they have short legs, which makes them quite clumsy, but helps them easily get through thickets of deciduous trees. Just like pigs, kanchilas have hooves on their legs with two lateral toes.

Surprisingly, scientists believe that whales evolved from moisture-loving animals similar to deer. And this is quite likely, because today, as in ancient times, some species show a great love for water and spend a lot of time in reservoirs.

4. Mississippi shellfish.

An alligator-like fish, the Mississippi shellfish (Atractosteus spathula) is one of the oldest fish living on Earth today. In the Mesozoic era, its ancestors inhabited many bodies of water. Today the Mississippi batfish lives in the valley downstream the Mississippi River, as well as in some freshwater lakes in the United States.

A 10-foot-long Mississippi panfish that was caught in 1910 in Moon Lake, Mississippi.

IN North America The Mississippi shellfish is the largest freshwater fish, typically ranging from 2.4 m to 3 m in length and weighing at least 91 kg.

As it is not difficult to guess, the Mississippi shellfish is predatory fish. It usually feeds on other fish, but with its sharp, needle-shaped teeth it can bite through even a young alligator. But, despite this, not a single case of an attack on a person has been recorded. Hunting for familiar prey, the carapace hides in reeds or thickets of other vegetation, and then quickly attacks its prey from cover. If the fish is not hunting, it swims slowly or even freezes, sticking its “beak” out of the water to breathe air.

5. Shield insect Triops cancriformis.

These small freshwater crustaceans are considered the most ancient creatures living on Earth today. Representatives of this species have hardly changed since the Triassic period. At that time, dinosaurs had just appeared. Today, these animals live on almost every continent except Antarctica. However, the species Triops cancriformis is most common in Eurasia.

The unique way of life of shieldfish has helped this species to remain almost unchanged for such a long time. They spend their entire lives in temporary fresh water bodies such as puddles, ditches and ravines. There, shieldfish feed on everything that is smaller than them, and when there is a shortage of food, they often resort to cannibalism.

Triops cancriformis.

For more than one million years, in such reservoirs, larvae appear from cysts (developed embryos covered with a thin shell) buried in the ground by the previous generation of shieldweeds. They usually hatch in one or two days. And within just two weeks they develop and become sexually mature individuals. After this, they mate and then bury the cysts in the ground. As soon as conditions favorable for shieldworms arise, larvae emerge from approximately half of the cysts. The other part remains in the ground in case the reservoir dries out very quickly, and the newly emerged scale insects die before they have time to bury their cysts.

It is interesting that, despite the high prevalence of shieldfish on Earth, they remain poorly studied animals. For example, scientists cannot understand why shieldbills often swim belly up at the surface of the water, given that in this way they show their reddish abdomen and become visible to birds.

6. Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

These coniferous plants were widespread throughout Northern Hemisphere from Cretaceous to Neogene. However, today metasequoia can only be seen in the wild in central China, in the provinces of Hubei and Sichuan.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

This plant was first discovered as fossilized remains on the island of Hokkaido, and only in 1943 were living trees found in the mountains of China. And in 2012, a genetic study was carried out on the ancient remains of a metasequoia aged about 50-55 million years and a modern species, Metasequoia glyptostroboid, which revealed that the differences between them are very insignificant.

7. Goblin Shark.

The genus Mitsukurina, to which this species of shark belongs, first became known through fossils that date back to the Middle Eocene (about 49-37 million years ago). The only one now existing look This genus, the goblin shark, which lives in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, has retained some of the primitive features of its ancient relatives, and is today a living fossil.

Science knows little about this unusual-looking creature. The goblin shark has very flexible jaws that extend outward when it catches prey. Like all sharks, it feeds on fish, for which its front - long and sharp - teeth are designed, but will not refuse crustaceans and mollusks. The rear teeth of a shark are adapted precisely for chewing shells.

This shark was first discovered in 1898 off the Jordanian coast of the Red Sea (in the Gulf of Aqaba). To date, only 45 specimens have been seen. The largest known specimen reached just over three meters in length and weighed 210 kilograms.

Today, scientists do not have enough information about this fish to say whether this species is endangered or not. In many ways, what makes them so rare to observe is the fact that the goblin shark lives at great depths. Most specimens were seen at depths of 270 meters and 960 meters. However, several such sharks have been spotted at a depth of 1300 meters.

1. Coelacanth.

Adult coelacanths can reach 2 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. Photo by: Daniel Jolivet.

Thus, both species have a three-lined caudal fin, which is characteristic of fish that lived millions of years ago. But the main feature of coelacanths is that their powerful fins move diagonally, like the limbs of land-based four-legged animals. In turn, the hard scales of these fish serve as protection from predators.

Being nocturnal fish, coelacanths spend the day in underwater caves at a depth of 95 to 100 meters, and when evening comes, they emerge from their hiding places and begin to look for food.

Interestingly, these fish do not spawn, but produce up to 26 fully developed young. Their pregnancy is believed to last about a year or more.

2. Ginkgo biloba.

In the wild, this plant grows only in eastern China. However, 200 million years ago it was distributed throughout the planet, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, in areas with a temperate climate and high humidity. In Siberia of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods, there were so many plants of the Ginkgo class that their remains are found in most deposits of those periods. According to researchers, in the autumn of that time the earth was literally covered with ginkgo leaves, like a carpet.

This tree is mentioned in Chinese books from the 17th century. Since that time, in China, Japan and Korea, ginkgo biloba began to be considered a sacred tree and a symbol of endurance and longevity.

In 1730, the ancient tree was brought to Europe and planted in the Milan Botanical Garden, and approximately 50 years later it was brought to North America. After this, ginkgo began to be cultivated, and the plant began to appear in gardens and parks around the world.

3. Small deer, or kanchil, is not only the smallest (its height at the withers is no more than 25 centimeters, and its maximum weight is about 2.5 kilograms), but also the most ancient species of artiodactyls on Earth. These animals existed 50 million years ago, just when orders of ancient ungulates began to form. Since that time, the kanchila has remained almost unchanged and resembles its ancient ancestors more than other species.

4. Mississippi shellfish.

An alligator-like fish, the Mississippi shellfish (Atractosteus spathula) is one of the oldest fish living on Earth today. In the Mesozoic era, its ancestors inhabited many bodies of water. Today, the Mississippi shellfish lives in the lower Mississippi River valley, as well as in some freshwater lakes in the United States.

A 10-foot-long Mississippi panfish that was caught in 1910 in Moon Lake, Mississippi.

In North America, the Mississippi shellfish is the largest freshwater fish, typically ranging from 2.4 m to 3 m in length and weighing at least 91 kg.

As you might guess, the Mississippi shellfish is a predatory fish. It usually feeds on other fish, but with its sharp, needle-shaped teeth it can bite through even a young alligator. But, despite this, not a single case of an attack on a person has been recorded. Hunting for familiar prey, the carapace hides in reeds or thickets of other vegetation, and then quickly attacks its prey from cover. If the fish is not hunting, it swims slowly or even freezes, sticking its “beak” out of the water to breathe air.

5. Shield insect Triops cancriformis.

Triops cancriformis.

6. Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

These conifers were widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the Cretaceous to the Neogene. However, today metasequoia can only be seen in the wild in central China, in the provinces of Hubei and Sichuan.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

7. Goblin Shark.

The genus Mitsukurina, to which this species of shark belongs, first became known through fossils that date back to the Middle Eocene (about 49-37 million years ago). The only living species of this genus, the goblin shark, which lives in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, has retained some primitive features of its ancient relatives and is today a living fossil.

For many millions of years, our planet has been inhabited by living beings, changing and adapting to the environment, due to which new species have 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.

Ants

Ants (lat. Formicidae) - are considered the most ancient creatures living on Earth - about 130 million years old.

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.

We have already talked about strange, huge and very dangerous dinosaurs and others millions of years ago, but in fact, some of these animals have survived to this day. Having undergone minor changes, or without changing their appearance at all, some of these creatures have taken root perfectly in modern world. From the fearsome descendants of deep-sea prehistoric sharks to a species of ant that has been around for 120 million years, today we tell you about twenty-five prehistoric animals that still exist today.

25. Tadpole shrimp

The seabill, officially known as Triops longicaudatus, is a freshwater crustacean that resembles a miniature horseshoe crab. They are considered a living fossil because their basic prehistoric morphology has changed little over the past 70 million years, closely matching the bodies of their ancient ancestors who inhabited the Earth until approximately 220 million years ago.

24. Lampreys

The lamprey is a jawless fish characterized by a serrated, funnel-like suction cup mouth. Although they are well known to burrow their teeth into the flesh of other fish to suck blood, only a small number of the 38 known species actually do this. The oldest fossilized lamprey skeleton was found in South Africa and dates back to approximately 360 million years ago, but it undeniably bears striking similarities to modern specimens.

23. Sandhill crane

The sandhill crane, endemic to North America and northeastern Siberia, is a large and heavy bird, weighing up to 4.5 kilograms. A fossil skeleton more than 10 million years old found in Nebraska is believed to belong to a sandhill crane, but scientists are not sure if it is the same species. However, another sandhill crane fossil dates back to 2.5 million years ago.

22. Sturgeon

Found in rivers, lakes and coastal waters of the subtropical, temperate and subarctic regions, the sturgeon is sometimes called a "primitive fish" because its morphological characteristics remain virtually unchanged from the oldest fossil of the species found, which is approximately 200 million years old. Unfortunately, overfishing, pollution and other forms of habitat destruction have brought these fish to the brink of extinction, with some species already on the brink of extinction.

21. Chinese giant salamander(Chinese giant salamander)

The Chinese giant salamander, the largest salamander and amphibian in the world, can reach a length of 180 centimeters. As a living member of the Cryptobranchidea family, which originated 170 million years ago, this unique creature is also considered a critically endangered species due to habitat loss, pollution and overharvesting, as it is considered a delicacy and used in traditional Chinese medicine.

20. Ant from Mars (Martialis heureka ant)

This species of ant was discovered in 2000 in tropical forests Amazons in Brazil. It is notable for its unusual morphology. The Mars ant, which belongs to the oldest known distinct genus that branched off from the ancestors of all other ants, is estimated to have roamed our planet for approximately 120 million years.

19. Goblin shark

The goblin shark, whose body length can reach up to 4 meters in adults, is a rare and poorly studied species of deep-sea shark. Its strange and scary appearance suggests that this creature has its origins in the prehistoric era. The first direct ancestors of the goblin shark lived on Earth 125 million years ago. Despite the frightening appearance and big size, this type of shark is practically harmless to humans.

18. Horseshoe crab

Horseshoe crabs are marine arthropods that live primarily in shallow ocean waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. The horseshoe crab is considered the closest relative of the legendary trilobite and is among the best known living fossils that have remained virtually unchanged for an astonishing 450 million years.

17. Echidna

Along with the platypus, the echidna is the only surviving mammal that lays eggs. Scientific research shows that echidnas split from platypuses approximately 48 to 19 million years ago. Their common ancestor was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life on land. Due to its very unusual appearance, the echidna was named after the "Mother of Monsters" in Greek mythology.

16. Hatteria (Tuatara)

Hatterias, endemic to New Zealand, grow up to 80 centimeters in length and are distinguished by a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. Although they look like modern reptiles and lizards, their body structure is believed to have remained unchanged for 200 million years. For this reason, the hatteria is of great interest for the study of the evolution of both lizards and snakes.

15. Frilled shark

Found at depths of 50 to 200 meters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the frilled shark is another scary-looking marine living fossil. This species of shark belongs to one of the oldest lineages of sharks still in existence, which has been around since at least the end of the Cretaceous period (95 million years ago) and possibly even since the end of the Jurassic period (150 million years ago).

14. Alligator snapping turtle

Commonly found in the waters of the southeastern United States, snapping turtles are one of two extant genera of the snapping turtle family, a prehistoric family of turtles with centuries-old history fossils dating back to the Maastrichtian stage (72 - 66 million years ago) of the Late Cretaceous period. Weighing up to approximately 180 kilograms, the snapping turtle is the heaviest freshwater turtle in the world.

13. Coelacanth

Endemic to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and Indonesia, the coelacanth is a genus of fish that includes two modern looking approximately from the coelacanth family (Latimeria). These species were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1938, and are more closely related to lungfishes, reptiles and mammals than to common ray-finned fishes. The coelacanth is thought to have evolved into approximately its current form approximately 400 million years ago.

12. Giant freshwater stingray

The giant freshwater stingray, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, grows to almost 2 meters in diameter and can weigh up to 600 kilograms. Its thin, oval pectoral fin disc is estimated to have evolved approximately 100 million years ago. Like most of the animals on this list, this species is also critically endangered due to overcapture for meat and aquarium display, as well as habitat degradation.

11. Nautilus

Inhabits the deep slopes of coral reefs in Indian Ocean and central-western part Pacific Ocean The nautilus is a pelagic mollusk. Fossils found show that this creature has lived on Earth for an incredible 500 million years, meaning it has survived several mass extinctions and major changes to the planet. But then again, this is probably the closest this species comes to being wiped out forever due to callous human activity and overfishing.

10. Medusa

Jellyfish, found in every ocean from the surface to depths of the sea, may have settled in the world's seas as early as 700 million years ago, making them the oldest multi-organ animals. The jellyfish is probably the only species on this list whose numbers may be increasing worldwide as a result of overfishing of their natural enemies. However, there are also some endangered species of jellyfish.

9. Platypus (Platypus)

This egg-laying animal with the beak of a duck, the tail of a beaver and the paws of an otter is often considered the strangest thing in the world. Not surprisingly, his appearance dates back to the prehistoric era. While the age of the oldest platypus skeleton fossil found by scientists on this moment, is only 100,000 years old, the first ancestor of the platypus lived on the supercontinent Gondwana 170 million years ago.

8. Elephant shrew

Widely distributed throughout southern Africa, long-eared jumpers are small, four-legged mammals that resemble rodents or opossums but are, ironically, more closely related to elephants. According to the fossil record, the first ancestors of this strange creature lived during the Paleogene period (66 - 23 million years ago).

7. Pelican

Surprisingly, these large waterfowl, with their huge and long beaks, are among the living fossils that have changed little since prehistory. The fossil record shows that the pelican genus has existed for at least 30 million years. The oldest fossilized skeleton, found in early Oligocene sediments in France, bears a striking resemblance to the bird's modern form, with a beak morphologically identical to that of extant pelicans.

6. Mississippi Alligator Gar

Mississippian shellfish, one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, are often called "primitive fish" or "living fossils" due to the fact that they retain some morphological characteristics of their earliest ancestors, such as a spiral valve and the ability to breathe and air and in the water. The fossil record traces the existence of the carapace to more than 100 million years ago.

5. Sponge

It is difficult to measure exactly how long sea sponges have existed on our planet, as estimates vary widely, but the oldest evidence of a sea sponge appears to be a fossilized skeleton recently discovered in a rock that is 760 million years old.

4. Slithertooth (Solenodon)

Snaptooths are venomous, nocturnal, burrowing mammals. This small creature, endemic to several Caribbean countries, is often called a living fossil because it has remained virtually unchanged over the past 76 million years, retaining the primitive mammalian characteristics typical of its prehistoric ancestors.

3. Crocodiles

Unlike sawtooths and many of the other animals on this list, crocodiles actually resemble dinosaurs. Including crocodiles, alligators, caimans, gharials and gharial crocodiles, this group emerged approximately 250 million years ago in the Early Triassic period and their modern descendants still share many common features. morphological characteristics their distant ancestors.

2. Pygmy right whale

The pygmy whale, thought to be extinct until 2012 when it was rediscovered, is the smallest of the baleen whales. Because it is a very rare animal, little is known about its population or social behavior. What we do know is that the pygmy whale is a descendant of the Cetotheriidae, a family of baleen whales that existed from the late Oligocene to the late Pliocene (28 - 1 million years ago).

1. Black-bellied disc-tongue frog (Hula painted frog)

Even frogs also have living fossils. Like the pygmy whale, the black-bellied disc-tongue frog was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2011. The frog was originally thought to have existed for only 15,000 years, however, based on phylogenetic analysis, it has been estimated that the frog's last direct ancestor existed approximately 32 million years ago, making the black-bellied disc-tongued frog the only extant member of the genus.

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