The fossil record is generally characterized by long periods of stasis followed by brief periods of the sudden appearances of radically new organisms. This state of the fossil record challenges the mutability of species, and therefore poses a challenge for the theory of evolution. Here is a list of currently living organisms (also known as living fossils) that have demonstrated longevity upon this Earth.
(1) Salamanders - A recent fossil find in China has pushed back the origins of Salamanders to 150 mya. The shocking discovery is that the salamanders are virtually unchanged from what we find living today in the neighborhood swamp. Here's a quote from Ken Gao from the American Museum of Natural History, a scientist on the scene. "For the last 150 million years not much has changed".
(2) Coelacanth Fish - This is probably both the most bizarre and most publicized "living fossil". These fish have remained the same for about 400 million and was discovered to be living in 1938. There's a population of these fish living in the waters outside of South Africa.
(3) Wollemi Pine also known as the "Dinosaur Tree" - These pine trees were discovered in Australia in 1994. The genus of these trees coexisted with the dinosaurs about 150 million years ago.
(4) Neopilina mollusks - Discovered living in the early 1950s these mollusks share a close relationship with fossils that existed about 400 to 500 million years ago.
(5) Tuatara "Lizard" - This reptile is on the verge of becoming extinct in New Zealand. It's the only survivor of a group of reptiles named Sphenodontia and has not changed in over 200 million years.
(6) Ginkgo Tree - Yes this herbal source is on the list too. The Ginkgo tree belongs to the family Ginkgoaceae which date back to 270 million years. They were thought to be extinct until they were discovered in 1691 in the Japan. Another interesting point to note is that they were featured in the movie Jurassic Park.
(7) Alligator - They are members of the crocodile family and its basic type can be traced back 230 million years.
(8) Horseshoe Crab - This annoyance to many fisherman can be traced back about 300 million years when their ancestors ruled the oceans.
(9) Army Ants - In year 2003 a Cornell entomologist discovered that these ants have remained unchanged for the last 100 million years.
(11) Hummingbirds - Some modern hummingbirds share a remarkable resemblance to those found in the fossil record 30 million years ago.
(16) Velvet Worms - These amazing little creatures have remained largely unchanged for 500 million years.
(18) Emperor dragonflies - For 230 million years, these fast flying insects have remained largely unchanged.
(19) Lungfish - These interesting creatures have the ability to breathe in water that is very poor in oxygen. They have inhabited the earth for 350 million years.
(20) White-flag Dolphins - These rare freshwater dolphins have remained unchanged for 25-30 million years.
(21) Leatherback Turtles - This endangered species may not be on the "living fossils" list for long. They have remained unchanged for 65 to 100 million years.
(22) Colymbosathon ecplecticos - This crustacean has been described as a case of "a striking example of evolution almost standing still." It hasn't changed in 425 million years.
(24) Butterflies - One research said that "it's no different than if you took a modern day butterfly and put it under a light microscope." They have been similar for 40-50 million years.
(25) Ferns - Although there has been some variation within this group, this general type has existed for more than 300 million years.
