Some people mistakenly believe that the world of ancient animals is limited only to the died-out dinosaurs and mammoths. But it far not so. Actually it is much more various: The earth was inhabited by millions of beings, the majority of whom turned into minerals for a long time, but not all. Now still it is possible to watch some old residents whose sort contains hundreds of millions years.
Instruction
1. Cockroaches It is the most ancient insects living on Earth. There were they about 320 million years ago. Now entomologists contain more than 4.5 thousand species of these insects. Red house and huge Madagascar are considered as the most known species of cockroaches. Paleontologists made discovery: fossil remains of cockroaches – the most numerous among insects who were found in deposits of the Paleozoic.
2. Ants It not only the most numerous group among insects, but also the most ancient after cockroaches. According to the estimates of scientists, the first ants appeared on Earth about 255 million years ago. Their physiological characteristics are almost ideally adapted for surrounding climate which constantly changes. For this reason these insects exist already several million years in the almost original state. Ants it is possible to meet literally everywhere. The modern zoology described already more than 15 thousand species of these ancient insects, each of which is allocated with own features in appearance, in the structure of a body, in a way of life.
3. Crocodiles It is some of the most ancient reptiles. Archeologists and paleontologists are sure that these reptiles appeared more than 250 million years ago. It should be noted that these reptiles look awful not less, than their "colleagues" - dinosaurs looked. Besides, crocodiles are owners of incredibly strong and beautiful skin which quality was estimated still by ancient tribes of soldiers: skin of a crocodile fitted boards, an armor was made of it.
4. Gatteriya Eto a special species of reptiles which is considered really ancient. Gatteriya is the only modern representative of the most ancient group of Rhynchocephalia of reptiles. It resembles an ordinary iguana superficially: along all back and a tail the powerful crest formed triangular cheshuyam grows. It should be noted that the appearance of this "old woman" did not change already more than 200 million years.
5. Duck-bills are the only mammal belonging to one modern family – utkonosovy. The duck-bill is one of the most ancient living beings on Earth. Besides, this animal – the only thing along with an echidna a yaytsekladushchy mammal. It is counted that duck-bills live already more than 110 million years. Besides, during this time they practically did not change unless became larger. Scientists established, and it is considered an established fact that earlier duck-bills inhabited South America, but through some time by swimming reached Australia on which they live to this day.