Living Fossils

A living fossil is an extant species that exhibits primitive characteristics of an otherwise extinct groups. These animals resemble the primitive members of their group, but are otherwise different. For example, sturgeons are primitive fish that have not changed for over 100 million years.

## List of Living Fossils

### Long-enduring

This category is for extant species who has lived for a long time, usually thousands or millions of years ago.

### Resembles the ancient species

This category is for extant species who resembles the ancient species, but came out a few thousand years ago

### Has many simmilarities

This category is for neutrals. The animal can't be decided if it's a truly old species or a new species

### Relict population

These are not true living fossils, but actual living prehistoric creatures. There's used to be a largepopulation of them, but they're thined out

## Characteristics

1. Extant animals who are members of a taxon who remains recognizable through fossil records over a long time
2. They show little difference with the extinct species

## Examples

### Vertebrates

* **Mammals**
	+ Aardvark (*Orycteropus afer*)
	+ Amami rabbit (*Pentalagus furnessi*)
	+ Nesolagus (*Asian striped rabbits*)
	+ Chevrotain (*Tragulidae*)
	+ Chousingha (*Tetracerus quadricornis*)
	+ Elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)
	+ Laotian rock rat (*Laonastes aenigmamus*)
	+ Monito del monte (*Dromiciops gliroides*)
	+ Monotremes (the platypus and echidna)
	+ Mountain beaver (*Aplodontia rufa*)
	+ Okapi (*Okapia johnstoni*)
	+ Sumatran rhinoceros (*Dicerorhinus sumatrensis*)
	+ Opossums (*Didelphidae*)
	+ Capybara (*Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris*)
	+ Bush dog (*Speothos venaticus*)
	+ Red panda (*Ailurus fulgens*)
	+ Solenodon (*Solenodon cubanus* and *Solenodon paradoxus*)
	+ Shrew opossum (*Caenolestidae*)
	+ Spectacled bear (*Tremarctos ornatus*)
	+ False killer whale (*Pseudorca crassidens*)
	+ Pygmy right whale (*Caperea marginata*)
	+ Pacarana (*Dinomys branickii*)
* **Birds**
	+ Pelicans (*Pelecanus*) – form has been virtually unchanged since the Eocene, and is noted to have been even more conserved across the Cenozoic than that of crocodiles.
	+ Acanthisittidae (New Zealand "wrens") – 2 living species, a few more recently extinct. Distinct lineage of Passeriformes.
	+ Broad-billed sapayoa (*Sapayoa aenigma*) – One living species. Distinct lineage of Tyranni.
	+ Bearded reedling (*Panurus biarmicus*) – One living species. Distinct lineage of Passerida or Sylvioidea.
	+ Picathartes (rockfowls)
	+ Coliiformes (mousebirds) – 6 living species in 2 genera. Distinct lineage of Neoaves.
	+ Hoatzin (*Ophisthocomus hoazin*) – One living species. Distinct lineage of Neoaves.
	+ Magpie goose (*Anseranas semipalmata*) – One living species. Distinct lineage of Anseriformes.
	+ Seriema (*Cariamidae*) – 2 living species. Distinct lineage of Cariamae.
	+ Tinamiformes (tinamous) 50 living species. Distinct lineage of Palaeognathae.
* **Reptiles**
	+ Alligator snapping turtle (*Macrochelys temminckii*)
	+ Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans and alligators)
	+ Pig-nosed turtle (*Carettochelys insculpta*)
	+ Hickatee (*Dermatemys mawii*)
	+ Snapping turtle (*Chelydra serpentina*)
	+ Tuatara (*Sphenodon punctatus* and *Sphenodon guntheri*)
	+ Asian forest tortoise (*Manouria emys*)
	+ Impressed tortoise (*Manouria impressa*)
	+ Xenopeltis
* **Amphibians**
	+ Giant salamanders (*Cryptobranchus* and *Andrias*)
	+ Hula painted frog (*Latonia nigriventer*)
	+ Purple frog (*Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis*)

* **Jawless fish**
	+ Hagfish (*Myxinidae*) Family
	+ Lamprey (*Petromyzontiformes*)
* **Bony fish**
	+ Arowana and arapaima (*Osteoglossidae*)
	+ Bowfin (*Amia calva*)
	+ Coelacanth (the lobed-finned *Latimeria menadoensis* and *Latimeria chalumnae*)
	+ Gar (*Lepisosteidae*)
	+ Queensland lungfish (*Neoceratodus fosteri*)
	+ African lungfish (*Protopterus sp.*)
	+ Sturgeons and paddlefish (Acipenseriformes)
	+ Bichir (family *Polypteridae*)
	+ *Protanguilla palau*
	+ Mudskipper (*Oxudercinae*)
* **Sharks**
	+ Blind shark (*Brachaelurus waddi*)
	+ Bullhead shark (*Heterodontus sp.*)
	+ Cow shark (sixgill sharks and relatives) (*Hexanchidae*)
	+ Elephant shark (*Callorhinchus milii*)
	+ Frilled shark (*Chlamydoselachus sp.*)
	+ Goblin shark (*Mitsukurina owstoni*)
	+ Gulper shark (*Centrophorus sp.*)Mantophasmatodea (gladiators; a few living species)
	+ Meropeidae (3 living species, 4 extinct)
	+ *Micromalthus debilis* (a beetle)
	+ Mymarommatid wasps (10 living species in genus *Palaeomymar*)
	+ Nevrorthidae (3 species-poor genera)
	+ *Nothomyrmecia* (known as the 'dinosaur ant')
	+ *Notiothauma reedi* (a scorpionfly relative)
	+ Orussidae (parasitic wood wasps; about 70 living species in 16 genera)
	+ Peloridiidae (peloridiid bugs; fewer than 30 living species in 13 genera)
	+ Rhinorhipid beetles (1 living species, Triassic origin)
	+ Rotoitid wasps (2 living species, 14 extinct)
	+ *Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae* (a jurodid beetle)
	+ *Syntexis libocedrii* (Anaxyelidae cedar wood wasp)

### Invertebrates

**Insects**

* Mantophasmatodea (gladiators; a few living species)
* Meropeidae (3 living species, 4 extinct)
* *Micromalthus debilis* (a beetle)
* Mymarommatid wasps (10 living species in genus *Palaeomymar*)
* Nevrorthidae (3 species-poor genera)
* *Nothomyrmecia* (known as the 'dinosaur ant')
* *Notiothauma reedi* (a scorpionfly relative)
* Orussidae (parasitic wood wasps; about 70 living species in 16 genera)
* Peloridiidae (peloridiid bugs; fewer than 30 living species in 13 genera)
* Rhinorhipid beetles (1 living species, Triassic origin)
* Rotoitid wasps (2 living species, 14 extinct)
* *Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae* (a jurodid beetle)
* *Syntexis libocedrii* (Anaxyelidae cedar wood wasps **Crustaceans**
	+ Glypheoidea (2 living species: *Neoglyphea inopinata* and *Laurentaeglyphea neocaledonica*)
	+ Stomatopods (mantis shrimp)
	+ *Triops cancriformis* (also known as tadpole shrimp; a notostracan crustacean)
* **Molluscs**
	+ Nautilina (e.g., *Nautilus pompilius*)
	+ *Neopilina* - Monoplacophoran
	+ Slit snail (e.g., *Entemnotrochus rumphii*)
	+ *Vampyroteuthis infernalis* – the vampire squid

* **Other invertebrates**
	+ Crinoids
	+ Horseshoe crabs (only 4 living species of the class Xiphosura, family Limulidae)
	+ *Lingula anatina* (an inarticulate brachiopod)
	+ Liphistiidae (trapdoor spiders)
	+ Onychophorans (velvet worms)
	+ *Rhabdopleura* (a hemichordate)
	+ *Valdiviathyris quenstedti* (a craniforman brachiopod)
	+ *Paleodictyon nodosum* (unknown)

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living\_fossil