Jun 22, 2024, 12:46 PM IST

Oldest animal species on Earth

Ritik Raj

Nautilus: Deep-ocean habitats have been the home of the spiral-shelled mantis prawn for hundreds of millions of years.

Horseshoe Crab: Due to its special blue blood qualities, this marine arthropod, which has been around for more than 450 million years, is important for medical research.

Dragonflies: These massive, winged, ancient insects first appeared 325 million years ago. They are renowned for their exceptional aerial flexibility and hunting prowess.

Lamprey: This species of fish has lived in freshwater habitats worldwide for 360 million years. It has a mouth shaped like a sucker and no jaw.

Crocodiles: Semi-aquatic habitats have been home to these apex predators for 55 million years, with a wide range of environmental adaptations.

Goblin Shark: This unusual deep-sea shark species has lived for 125 million years and has not changed much. It is distinguished by its long snout and unique jaw mechanism.

Coelacanth: This deep-sea fish was discovered to be alive and provides information on the evolution of early vertebrates. It was previously thought to be extinct for 66 million years.