Life on planet Earth hasn’t always been the way we see it around us today. There was a time when our planet was home to only animals, no humans at all. Some of the animals that existed before human life began on Earth still continue to live here. Their species have been living on Earth for millions of years now. They have survived through mass extinctions, severe climate shifts and even evolutionary changes.
Even if one travelled back a million years, they would find these species thriving in their natural habitat just as we see today!
Top Ancient Animals Still Thriving Today
All these species have been in existence for millions of years and still continue to live on Earth today. They are also known as the great survivors for withstanding millions of years of change.
Here are the top names of animals that existed before humans and are still thriving today!
- Sharks: They have been swimming in the seas for more than 400 million years ago, long before dinosaurs came. They are also among the oldest vertebrates on Earth.
- Jellyfish: We get to know from fossils that jellyfish have been around for at least 500 million years. This makes them one of the oldest animal groups on our planet.
- Frogs: These frogs have been living on Earth for more than 200 million years. Their time on Earth also includes the period when dinosaurs existed.
- Horseshoe Crabs: Even after surviving multiple years of mass extinction, these crabs remain the same as they were 450 million years ago.
- Sponges: These simple multicellular organisms have been in existence for over 600 million years according to a fossil record.