Amazing Prehistoric Animals That Are Still Roaming Among Us (They Survived Extinction!)
Unless time travel becomes a reality, we'll never encounter living woolly mammoths, saber-tooth tigers, or dinosaurs—they vanished millions of years ago. But believe it or not, some prehistoric creatures still roam the Earth today—you just have to know where to look.
Many of these ancient species have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years, even surviving the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. Some were so elusive that scientists believed they were extinct—until one resurfaced in 1938! Others were only discovered quite recently. How many of these living fossils have you heard of?
Alligator Gars
In April 2019, fishermen in Oklahoma caught a seven-foot-long fish that looked more like a prehistoric alligator dinosaur. This was an alligator gar, a "living fossil" that has existed for 118 million years. Despite its name and fearsome appearance, it's not closely related to alligators.
Alligator gars are the largest species of garfish. While they have sharp, needle-like teeth, there are no reports of them ever biting a human. Fishermen in the southern U.S. occasionally come across these ancient fish, which date back to the early Cretaceous period.
The Chambered Nautilus
The Chambered Nautilus, the most well-known member of the nautilus family, is among the oldest animals on the planet. Fossils dating back 50 million years reveal creatures that look nearly identical to today's versions.
Nowadays, the chambered nautilus faces threats from over-harvesting for its beautiful shell. Still, you can see them up close in select aquariums. For the truly adventurous, encountering them in the wild means diving down to the sea floors near Australia or Japan.
Lamprey
Though lampreys resemble parasitic eels, they are actually the world's oldest living fish, having remained nearly unchanged for over 450 million years. Using their suction cup-like mouths, they latch onto other fish and feed by sucking their blood.
Lampreys might be considered America’s first invasive species. After entering the Great Lakes in the 1830s, they rapidly multiplied and disrupted the ecosystem. Still, lampreys inhabit freshwater lakes and streams worldwide and pose no threat to humans.
Sea Sponges
Though they look like plants, sea sponges are actually some of the oldest animals on Earth. A 2018 study uncovered a fossil dating back 660 million years—roughly 100 million years before the Cambrian explosion, when most modern animal groups first emerged.
One theory proposes that sea sponges played a crucial role in sparking that burst of life. Because they need very little oxygen, sponges thrived in Earth's early oceans. By filtering water and gradually boosting oxygen levels, they may have helped create the conditions necessary for more complex life to evolve.
The Tuatara
New Zealand's living dinosaur is a small reptile called the tuatara. This remarkable creature is the only surviving member of the Order Sphenodontia, a lineage that dates back over 200 million years. Its closest relatives disappeared more than 60 million years ago.
One of the tuatara’s most intriguing features is its parietal eye—a third eye situated on top of its head. While this "eye" gets covered by scales as the tuatara matures, it remains visible in younger individuals. Sadly, the introduction of rats to their native islands put tuataras at risk, leading to their legal protection since 1895.
The Bactrian Camel
While one-humped camels are more common, the two-humped Bactrian camel still lives in the deserts of Mongolia. Fossils show these camels have been crossing the Gobi Desert for almost two million years. Some are wild, and some are domesticated.
Bactrian camels are amazing because they can survive extreme temperatures, from over 100°F to below -20°F. Sadly, the wild Bactrian camel is critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 left. Their ancestors, called giant camels, once lived in the Arctic over 3.5 million years ago.
Komodo Dragons
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards on Earth and are often considered the closest living relatives to dinosaurs. Interestingly, despite their strong connection to Indonesia, researchers now believe they didn't actually originate there. Fossils found in Australia show that Komodo dragons lived there between 300,000 and four million years ago.
Paleontologists at the Queensland Museum also discovered fossils of an even larger lizard, potentially an ancestor of today’s eight-foot-long Komodo dragon. Even with their ancient history, much about these impressive reptiles still remains a mystery.
The Okapi
Although okapis look like a mix of a deer and a zebra, they are the living relatives of the giraffe. About seven million years ago, the okapi evolved into S. major, and then into the giraffe. But okapis have lived on Earth for 16 million years.
Okapis are endangered, but scientists don't know exactly how many are left. They live in the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and many can still be found in zoos.
The Martialis Heureka Ant
The martialis heureka ant was discovered recently, in 2015. Scientists think these ants evolved underground before coming to the surface about 125 million years ago. So far, only three have been found outside the Amazon jungle.
Researchers believe the martialis heureka ant is the ancestor of all other living ants. Because they mostly live underground, they've stayed hidden for centuries. Studying these ants could help us understand the evolution of modern ants.
Sandhill Cranes
The Arctic sandhill crane has been migrating between Siberia and Mexico for over 2.5 million years. A ten-million-year-old sandhill crane fossil found in Nebraska showed it is the oldest bird species still alive today.
Not all sandhill cranes migrate; some live in Florida's bogs all year. But when they do migrate, they can travel up to 200 miles in one day. There are several types of sandhill cranes worldwide, but they all share the same old and rich history.
The Coelacanth
The coelacanth was believed to be extinct until one was surprisingly found in 1938. Since then, scientists discovered this ancient fish has lived in the waters near Africa and Indonesia for over 400 million years, surviving even the event that killed the dinosaurs.
For a while, researchers thought the coelacanth was the link between water and land animals. But DNA tests in 2013 showed it is actually more closely related to lungfish and other ray-finned fish, proving that idea wrong.
Echidnas
The first echidna evolved between 20 and 50 million years ago. Their ancestors were aquatic and looked like a platypus, although echidnas evolved to walk on land. As a result, echidnas are a monotreme, a mammal that lays eggs.
Today, echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea. Throughout its long history, the echidna has adapted to several environments, from deserts to forests. These ancient animals are unfortunately endangered because they are hunted as a delicacy.
Horseshoe Crabs
Horseshoe crabs have fascinated scientists for decades. According to fossil records, the first horseshoe crab evolved around 450 million years ago--200 million years before the first dinosaur. They lived in the sea and shorelines far before the continents formed.
Horseshoe crabs aren't actually crabs; they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions. Today, only four species of horseshoe crabs prevail, and most dot the coastline of North America in the Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen often used these animals for bait.
Shoebill Storks
Shoebill storks may look like a dinosaur from The Flintstones, but they are feared for their ferocity. Records of this enormous bird date back to ancient Egypt, although it wasn't classified until the 19th century.
Shoebill storks are vulnerable to extinction in the wetlands of Uganda. This bird has two known ancient relatives, the Goliathia and the Paludavis, which have appeared in fossils. But the shoebill stork is the only relative who has lived this long.
White Rhinoceros
White rhinos evolved between 34 and 55 million years ago from the same ancestor of horses, tapirs, and zebras. Both tapirs and rhinos are prehistoric. Giant rhinos and wholly rhinos once roamed the world's deserts and ice caps.
Despite the name, there is no color difference between white rhinos and other rhinoceroses. As a critically endangered species, rhinos are currently under conservation care. Their numbers are slowly climbing back.
Gharials
If the gharial looks like a crocodile dinosaur, that's because it is. Gharials are the oldest crocodile breed in the world. Fossils of these animals have appeared in the Narmada River Valley, but unfortunately, they have been critically endangered since 2007.
The oldest depictions of gharials date back 4,000 years. Scientists still aren't sure how they evolved differently from crocodiles, whether they evolved earlier in history or later. But with fewer than 200 gharials remaining, we may never know.
Tapirs
Tapirs are the oldest large mammals in the world. Their proud history dates back at least 20 million years, and they have hardly changed since the Early Oligocene period. Although they look like a cross between a pig and an elephant, tapirs are related to rhinoceroses.
Like elephants, tapirs have prehensile noses that can move and grab things. Their noses help them breathe while swimming, and they are exceptional swimmers. All four species of tapir are endangered.
The Vicuña
These ancestors of alpacas still exist today; they're called vicuñas. The Inca highly cherished these mammals for their soft, luxurious fur. Unfortunately, excessive hunting has dwindled their numbers in the last 600 years.
Vicuñas roam the mountainsides of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Many people know these animals for their pricey fur, for which a coat can cost around $21,000. Fortunately, conservation techniques have shielded these ancient animals and raised their numbers to over 80,000.
Saiga Antelopes
The saiga antelope once shared the planet with woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers. Fossils date back to the late Pleistocene period, at least 2.5 million years ago. Today, they still live in Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.
From 2016 to 2017, a virus swept through the saiga antelope herds. They have also been subject to poaching, which has made them a critically endangered species. At least 60% of the saiga population has died off since the 1970s.
The Chamois
The chamois (pronounced sham-wah) has roamed the European mountains since the last ice age. Ancient humans painted caves with illustrations of these goat-antelopes. Although they were endangered before, strict protection has restored their population.
Chamois dot the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees mountains. With a shoulder height of 31 inches, they are one of the larger goat species. They are neither goats nor antelopes, but a goat-antelope, an ancestor to both species that began around seven million years ago.
The Babirusa
Babirusas look like they stepped right out of the prehistoric era—and in a way, they did. These wild pigs from Indonesia have been depicted in cave paintings dating back 35,000 years. What really sets them apart is their bizarre horns, which actually grow upward through the skin of their snout, curving back toward their forehead.
Recognized as the oldest living members of the pig family, babirusas consist of four distinct species, some of which are covered in long, coarse hair. They've been listed as a threatened species since 2010, but you can still catch a rare glimpse of them in Indonesian nature reserves.
The Chinese Giant Salamander
The Chinese Giant Salamander, which has remained mostly unchanged for 170 million years, is the largest amphibian in the world. It can grow up to 3.7 feet long and weigh 110 pounds. They swim through the lakes of the Yangtze river basin in central China.
Today, the giant salamander is critically endangered due to over-fishing since salamander is a Chinese delicacy. The Chinese salamander diverged around 3.1 million years ago, and researchers are still making efforts to save the species.
Wobbegong Sharks
Often called "carpet sharks," wobbegong sharks lay flat on the ocean floor to eat fish that pass by. Despite being hard to find, these sharks have survived for around 11 million years since the Miocene epoch.
Sharks have roamed the sea for a long time. The "golden age" of sharks is considered to be 360 million years ago, but few look similar to their ancient ancestors. Skilled divers can find wobbegong sharks in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Lake Sturgeons
Although lake sturgeons look like sharks, they are a fish that have thrived in the Great Lakes for over 10,000 years. Fossils date the lake sturgeon back 150 million years. They can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 300 pounds.
Unlike other fish, lake sturgeons don't have scales. Instead, they have five rows of hard plates called scutes. Lake sturgeons are vulnerable to over-fishing, but conservation efforts have maintained their population.
The Cassowary
Cassowaries are elegant, ancient, and the most dangerous bird alive. These tall birds have been around for 80 million years, and their ancient ancestor, the Corythoraptor jacobsi, looks exactly like them.
The cassowary has four-inch-long claws and can run up to 30 miles per hour. Residents of Australia and New Zealand have to move cautiously around these birds. Tourists love to see these living dinosaurs, especially their feet, which look almost exactly like dinosaur feet!
Whale Sharks
The largest shark in the world dates back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, around 245 to 65 million years ago. Whale sharks are small compared to their ancient ancestors, but they are far friendlier.
Like ancient sharks, whale sharks have tiny teeth. Fossil records suggest that ancient sharks had scales, but no teeth. Although whale sharks have 3,000 small teeth (less than an inch long), they don't use their teeth to eat plankton.
Musk Oxen
Researchers believe that musk oxen have roamed the earth for 187,000 to 129,000 years. Although musk oxen are related to goats and sheep, they come from their own genus, Ovibos. They are the last of the Ovibos still alive today.
Musk oxen likely originated in Europe before crossing over to Canada and Alaska. Based on ancient records, their population seemed to peak during the Ice Age over 20,000 years ago. They still explore North America today.
Alligator Snapping Turtle
At 220 pounds, alligator snapping turtles are the dinosaur of the turtle sphere. They have lived in the rivers and lakes of southern America for around 70 million years, and they're double the size of most snapping turtles.
Alligator turtles can live up to 100 years. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled because of habitat destruction. Although they are not endangered yet, some states banned fishing these reptiles to restore their population. As a giant snapping turtle, they can easily bite off a finger.
