8 Extinct Creatures That Might Actually Still Exist

“Life finds a manner.” This well-known quote from Jurassic Park is likely to be extra truthful than we think about, particularly in the case of creatures we thought have been misplaced perpetually. Whereas we’ve not fairly discovered any residing dinosaurs roaming round (sorry, children), a number of presumably extinct creatures have sparked heated debates within the scientific neighborhood about their attainable survival. Nobody’s even certain what happened during Earth’s last mass extinction, in spite of everything.

From the darkest depths of our oceans to probably the most distant wilderness areas, these eight fascinating creatures problem our understanding of extinction.

Some have left tantalizing clues, credible witnesses have noticed others, and some would possibly simply be hiding in plain sight, ready to shock us similar to the coelacanth (presumed extinct for 66 million years) did in 1938.

8 Megalodon: The Ocean’s Biggest Predator

The megalodon’s huge dimension and unexplored deep-sea habitat gas theories of its survival

Ever puzzled why we have solely explored 5% of our oceans? Possibly it is as a result of one thing huge is lurking within the depths. A couple of places are rumored to be home to sea monsters lurking within the depths. The megalodon, reaching lengths of as much as 70 ft, makes in the present day’s nice white sharks seem like goldfish. While officially extinct for 3.6 million years, large shark sightings and the huge unexplored ocean depths maintain the talk about its survival alive.

7 Tasmanian Tiger: Tasmania’s Misplaced Tiger

A number of credible sightings recommend this striped marsupial would possibly nonetheless roam the wilderness

Some species have been presumed extinct and found alive and well before, and the Tasmanian tiger could also be a kind of elusive Lazarus species. The Tasmanian tiger wasn’t really a tiger in any respect, however relatively a novel marsupial predator with distinctive stripes and a pouch.

Whereas formally declared extinct in 1982, lots of of reported sightings, together with from skilled park rangers and wildlife consultants, have stored hope alive. Latest high-quality footage and tracks present in distant areas have sparked new scientific expeditions.

6 Large Floor Sloth: An Historic Bear-Sized Sloth With Talons

South America’s mighty Megatherium would possibly clarify mysterious jungle encounters

Think about encountering a bear-sized sloth that may stand on its hind legs. The Mapinguari, a creature reported in South American rainforests, matches eerily nicely with descriptions of the presumed-extinct big floor sloth.

Contemplating scientists find “lost cities” in the Amazon comparatively often, it is not far-fetched to suppose an enormous sloth might exist hidden away within the darkest jungle. Native tribes persistently report encounters with huge, slow-moving creatures that go away peculiar tracks and match historic descriptions of Megatherium.

5 Loch Ness Monster: The Dwelling Plesiosaur

Lake monster sightings worldwide share placing similarities with these marine reptiles

When a number of individuals throughout completely different continents report seeing similar long-necked creatures in deep lakes and oceans, scientists take discover. In spite of everything, many lakes have their own versions of the “Loch Ness Monster.”

The outline typically matches that of plesiosaurs, marine reptiles thought extinct for 65 million years. These sightings persist from Scotland’s Loch Ness to Lake Champlain in North America regardless of our technological advances.

Gigantopithecus would possibly clarify extra than simply historical fossils

Standing 10 ft tall and weighing over 1,000 kilos, Gigantopithecus was the most important ape ever identified. Whereas formally extinct (regardless that the reasons for its extinction remained a mystery until recently), some researchers recommend it’d clarify the persistent reviews of enormous, bipedal apes throughout Asia and North America.

The animal’s supposed habitat matches completely with areas the place such sightings happen most often.

3 Mokele-mbembe: The River Large

Africa’s Mokele-mbembe shares curious similarities with sauropod dinosaurs

Deep within the Congo Basin, native tribes inform tales of a creature that matches no identified residing animal however bears placing similarities to sauropod dinosaurs.

The Mokele-mbembe, because it’s identified regionally, has been the subject of numerous scientific expeditions. Whereas no concrete proof exists, the huge unexplored areas of central Africa go away room for hypothesis.

2 Woolly Mammoth: The Siberian Large

Distant tundra areas would possibly harbor surviving woolly mammoths

The huge, distant areas of Siberia have lengthy sparked hypothesis about surviving woolly mammoths. Whereas formally extinct for 1000’s of years, documented sightings from the 1920s and preserved frozen specimens recommend these creatures might have survived longer than initially thought.

Some scientists argue that small populations would possibly persist in remoted areas of the Arctic tundra, the place the surroundings stays just like their unique habitat.

1 The River Dolphin’s Return

The Baiji dolphin may not be as extinct as we thought

Declared functionally extinct in 2006, credible observers have noticed China’s Yangtze River dolphin a number of instances since. Referred to as the “Goddess of the Yangtze,” this distinctive dolphin species tailored to life in full darkness.

Latest environmental enhancements within the Yangtze River have led scientists to research reviews of surviving people.