It is amazing how animals from prehistoric times to which we have no records can exist side by side with modern creatures. These creatures carry the genes which have the information about those times that human beings are extremely curious to know. They have co-existed with dinosaurs and animals that human beings will never come know. It is truly a miracle for a species to exist for many hundreds of centuries only to become strong. Here are the top ten bizarre prehistoric creatures that are still alive and exist vigorously.
1. Lamprey
One of Lamprey’s fossils found in South Africa dates back to nearly 350 million years back making Lamprey one of the oldest species ever to exist. They are jawless and have a funnel-like mouth. They survive by sucking the blood of the fishes.
2. Giant Squid
Though there are no solid pieces of evidence that they are truly prehistoric creatures but the scientists have bit and pieces of fossil remains of these colossal creatures that indicate that they are existing from the time of which we have no records. Some of these giant squids weigh around 800 pounds. IT is amazing to observe that with such heavy body, they did not perish with time.
3. Ctenophores
These creatures are truly extraordinary to look at. They have been on Earth for 700 million of years and likely to survive beyond human beings’ extinction. The reason why they look shiny is because they reflect the light that comes in their way.
4. Giant Chinese Salamander
It is said that these amphibians are in existence from nearly 170 million of years ago. They measure about 1.2 meters and look rather scary. They are slowly becoming endangered and are the biggest living amphibians.
5. Alligator Snapping Turtle
These freaky looking turtle species are the oldest turtles in the world and they date back to nearly 66 million years ago. The general weight of these scary guys is around 180 kilos.
6. Coelacanth
They species of fishes disappeared with the dinosaurs and again reappeared in 1938 quite miraculously. Scientists believe that they started existing somewhere around 350 millions of years ago.
7. Tuatara
They have started to become Endemic creatures and they date back to nearly 200 million years easily. Even though they belong to prehistoric creature category, they look very modern and have managed to adapt well. It falls in the category of lizards and the scientific community is extremely interested in decoding its gene for more information.
8. Nautilus
Even though most of the species of Nautilus have disappeared, they are some still existing and are the torch bearers. They inspired human beings to build the first submarine and they are natural submarines and has the same principle of operation. They filled their chambers with waters to go deep down.
9. Tadpole Shrimp
This resembles horseshoe crabs and a fossil was found that shows that their ancestors used to live nearly 200 million of years ago and somehow, they have managed to survive such an extraordinary period of time to tell the history of the prehistoric times.
10. Horseshoe Crab
Some people call them walking saucer in terms to flying saucers or UFOs. The fossils remaining and other experimental acts reveal that they have been surviving or nearly 550 million of years. They are weird in the sense that they have 5 pairs of eyes. It is believed that it is their hard shell that made them survive this long.
Hopefully, the scientists will be able to decode the genes of these freaky looking prehistoric creatures and reveal some astonishing facts about those times of which no records are available.
