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There are creatures almost as old as planet Earth itself. Animals that have survived the most extreme circumstances such as natural disasters, extinctions, climate change and all sorts of devastations. Their own evolution helped them to stand firm on our planet.
Over the years and in order to adapt to their surroundings, these ancestral animals, were developing amazing abilities and strange physical characteristics.
In this article by Animal Expert we have created a list for you to know the 5 oldest animals in the world. Species much older than people with the Guinness Record oldest in the world and even than all the human beings that inhabit the planet.
snake shark
This strange mixture of shark and eel inhabits the Earth for over 150 million years. It has a powerful jaw with 300 teeth distributed in 25 rows. This species of shark is the oldest in the world.
They live in the depths of the ocean, although a couple of specimens have recently been found along the coasts of Australia and Japan. They have evolved very little in terms of attractiveness, they are physically fearsome. Imagine as if a very ugly shark had teamed up with an even uglier eel and had a baby. The snake shark (or eel shark) is the typical creature of children's nightmares, in addition to being one of the oldest animals in the world.
Lamprey
Lampreys are even more ancient than the snake shark. They have 360 million years of existence. They are very strange agnates (jawless fish) whose mouths are a hole full of dozens of teeth that they use to hold other fish and at the same time suck their blood. They look like eels but are not genetically related or related to them.
Unlike other fish, they do not have scales and, therefore, more than fish, they are almost parasites. It has a slim, gelatinous and slippery appearance. They are very primitive animals and some scientists claim that lampreys practically date from the Paleozoic period.
Sturgeon
Sturgeons, 250 million years old, are the oldest creatures in the world. Sturgeons are not a particular animal but a family that has 20 species, all more or less, with similar characteristics. The most popular is the European Atlantic sturgeon that lives in the Black and Caspian Sea.
Despite being very, very old, several species of sturgeon that exist today are in danger of extinction. Its eggs are highly valued and used in the huge production of caviar. A sturgeon can measure up to 4 meters in length and live for 100 years.
ant from mars
This type of ant was recently discovered in the moist soils of the Amazon jungle. However, it is claimed that the origins of their species are over 130 million years old.. In the list of the oldest animals in the world, the mars ant is the representative of terrestrial life, since almost all others are marine creatures.
They are known by the term "Martians" because it is a species of ant with such different characteristics within its own family that it seems that they came from another planet. It is considered the most primitive of its "sisters". They are scientifically cataloged as "Martiales Heureka" they are small, predatory and blind.
horseshoe crab
In 2008, Canadian scientists found a new fossil horseshoe crab (also known as Horseshoe Crab). They stated that this species of crabs started its life on Earth nearly 500 million years ago. They are nicknamed "living fossils" because they have hardly changed over time. Imagine how difficult it must be to remain the same after so many environment transitions. Horseshoe crabs earned their name because they are true warriors.
A curious fact is that this animal, despite spending most of its life buried in the sand, is a species more related to arachnids than to crabs. This ancient animal is in grave danger due to the exploitation of its blood (which is blue), which has healing properties and is used for pharmaceutical purposes.
