JAKARTA — Since the first discovery of dinosaur fossils, humans are immediately captivated and wonder what life would be like if prehistory and humans coexisted. Who wouldn’t be blown away by the thrilling thrill of a giant lizard predator chasing them down the street? Or simply waving to a passing Stegosaurus?
It is said that humans have shared habitation with species of the same age as the dinosaurs and the species directly descended from them. Some species have not changed much over the last tens of millions of years. While some other types are no longer recognizable.
Here are five animals that still have a ‘blood’ bond with dinosaurs:
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1. Crocodile
This animal definitely describes a bit about dinosaurs. Reptiles are large and scary, and often prey on humans. Crocodiles do share a heritage with dinosaurs, being part of what are known as achosaurs (ruling reptiles). Archosaurus dates back to the Early Triassic period (250 million years ago).
The earliest crocodiles evolved about 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous. Modern crocodiles descend from prehistoric crocodiles such as Deinosuchus, a water-to-ground predator with a long snout, powerful tail and many teeth. Interestingly, apart from crocodiles, the only other archosaurs known to have survived into the modern era are birds. This means that crocodiles are closely related to the ducks you usually encounter.
2. Cassowary
Judging from its tall, claw-like legs, it’s easy to see why people think this giant bird is a direct descendant of dinosaurs like the velociraptor. Cassowaries are the third largest bird species in the world, and have been known to attack humans.
This animal can be found in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, with a characteristic blue neck. Uniquely, this bird has green eggs and is also an excellent swimmer. One other characteristic that may link cassowaries to dinosaurs is their shells, the leathery crest on their heads. Some scientists believe the crest serves to reduce heat.
3. Tuatara
This animal is as extraordinary as a crocodile. Even the Tuatara are the only survivors of a genetic lineage that dates back to the early Triassic. Tuataras are members of the reptile group Rhunochocephalia, which evolved between 240 million and 60 million years ago. They live off the coast of New Zealand, subsisting on beetles, spiders and snails. Even Tuarara often eat small birds whose heads they cut off with saw-like teeth. Tuatara can live up to about 100 years and are able to survive in low temperatures.
4. Shark
This one animal may not deserve to be called a modern dinosaur. Due to the fact that they are much older. Their ancestors evolved into shark-like forms more than 450 million years ago, during the Silurian period. They have always survived every major extinction event since the sea was filled with Trilobites. With many species on the shark list, one of the scary ones is Megalodon. There is also a hammerhead shark which looks weird.
5. Lizard
Lizards have shared genetics with ancestors that date back millions of years. Because it has many of the same genetic traits, such as laying eggs. Lizards and dinosaurs continued to follow separate developmental paths. One of the most obvious differences is their feet. Dinosaurs have legs that point down to the ground, like humans. In contrast, lizards and crocodiles have legs that stick out to the side.
SUMBER : BBC Earth
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