Thinking of dinosaurs, it’s hard to not to imagine the towering T-Rex chasing down hapless humans in Jurassic Park. Sure, you wouldn’t be too wrong for it. But what if I told you that some of their prehistoric contemporaries are still alive and kicking today?
These survivors have seen it all. Asteroid strikes? Pfft, weak! Ice Ages? Even weaker! They fought through it all and lived to tell the tale, carrying wisdom (aka genetics) of a time where the Earth looked like The Land Before Time.
Take a peek and learn more about the living legends who managed to outlast the big and burly beasts from our favorite movies!
1. Jellyfish
A creature that has been floating around for more than 500 million years! No brain, no heart, no problem! True minimalist monks, if you ask me!
Besides outliving dinosaurs, there’s so many cool things about jellyfish we don’t talk about!
For example, did you ever hear about the immortal jellyfish? When they’re stressed, they essentially throw a toddler tantrum – they revert to its juvenile stage and hit what you can call a biological reset button!
2. Horseshoe Crab
The horseshoe crab is a whole legend! You know how long they’ve been here? The last 450 million years! And guess what? They are whole armored tanks that have seen the rise and fall of empires long before humans even scribbled on cave walls.
They got some spooky blue blood which might remind you of Avatar characters, but a fun fact: it is often used in medical testing!
With 10 eyes (yes you heard right, 10!) they would make perfect sidekicks for a Marvel superhero. Sharp eyes, tough armor, and a timeless backstory!
3. Nautilus
The spiraled shell on these guys is a true relic of nature! They are, first of all, absolutely stunning, and second of all, legendary! This species has shined and impressed with that swirly shell for quite a long time! 500 million years, to be specific! That’s twice as long as the dinos reigned!
What makes them fascinating besides the fact that they’ve been around so long? They use jet propulsion to zip through water with a bunch of tentacles! Like a steampunk cousin of today’s squids and octopuses.
4. Sturgeon
Their story dates back 200 million years! They look like armored knights from the Middle Ages, swimming away in rivers with scaly glee. But what’s their claim to fame?
Besides being a prehistoric survivor, they also produce caviar! So, you could say they are the bougiest ancient fish ever. Their reputation might fool you, though. They are not small and elegant fish at all – they can grow over 18 feet long!
5. Crocodile
Forget Jurassic World. You can find living dinos today in the form of crocodiles! The armored scales and bite force are as strong as a Hulk smash. But this version of crocos has been around for 200 million years!
While dinosaurs were stomping around, croco-ancestors lurked in the swamps. Some prehistoric crocos grew to be at least 40 feet long. Basically, a bus with teeth. Can you imagine that?
What’s insane is that crocodiles haven’t changed much since their ancestors. When you’re this efficient predator, why mess with perfection?
6. Coelacanth
If dinos had a weird cousin who everyone thought was long gone, but then suddenly showed up alive and well at the family reunion – that is what this deep-sea fish is.
Scientists kind of believed this fishy went extinct about 66 million years ago. But then…shock! Surprise! It was rediscovered in the late 30s! Somehow, this fish managed to dodge extinction like Neo dodged the bullets in The Matrix!
They belong to a particular fish lineage that gave rise to the first land vertebrates. Yep! Coelacanths are distant relatives of you!