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Living fossils exposition

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by Canihelpyou?, 15 May 2018.

  1. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    So i had this idea of making a part of a zoo to be featuring "living fossils". I think most of you know what i mean with this, but for the people who dont: with living fossils i mean animals that havent or just slitghly changed over Thousand or millions of years. Here comes my question tho. What animals would you consider for this exposition? For right now i have:
    - Dough crab
    - Lungfish
    So not really a full species list. And i mean animals that can be kept in captivity, so no hoatzins or coelacanths.
     
  2. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Tuatara! ;) :p
     
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  3. Ortolan bunting

    Ortolan bunting Well-Known Member

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    crocodiles, snapping turtle, bowfin, bichirs, Aardvark

    also i would recommend Queensland lungfish as its the most primitive out of the lungfish species
     
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  4. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    May is ask why tuatara? (im not familiar with the species)
     
  5. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Sea turtles.
     
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  6. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Because they have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years, have no close relatives, and are awesome! :D
     
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  7. Loxodonta Cobra

    Loxodonta Cobra Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Okapi, capybara, pelicans, echidnas, and giant salamanders.
     
  8. gentle lemur

    gentle lemur Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Lampreys and/or hagfishes (perhaps with a special ugliness warning beside the hagfish tank ;)), sea pens, Peripatus or one of its relatives, gars, the bowfin, an American opossum of some sort and, if you could get some, solenodons. Ideally you would match them up with casts of fossils and models reconstructing the fossilised species to compare to living relations - with loads of facts to bash into the thick skulls of 'Creationists' :D
     
  9. lintworm

    lintworm Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    You might be interested to know that Leipzig has a corridor with living fossils in the entrance to Gondwanaland. The original inhabitants were Alligator gars, multiple Lungfish species, Bichir, Tinamu, Virginia possum, Kowai, Slender loris and Eastern quoll.
     
  10. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Why capybaras if i may ask? They have changed allot over the years.
     
  11. Loxodonta Cobra

    Loxodonta Cobra Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Their genus hasn't evolutionary changed in anatomy since the Miocene period 12 million years ago. Also they and the rest of the rodent parvorder cavimorpha which includes agoutis, cavys, maras, and pacas date back to the Oligocene period.
     
    Last edited: 15 May 2018
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  12. The Speeding Carnotaurus

    The Speeding Carnotaurus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Horseshoe Crabs, dragonflies, shrimp, lobster, and Sharks
     
  13. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I didnt knew they kept dragonflies in captivity to be honest. Probally because ive never seen them.
     
  14. Jurek7

    Jurek7 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Old Emmen zoo had an astonishingly effective diorama-like exhibit. It was called 'Earth 400m years ago', and featured barren sandy shore and a pool with live horseshoe crabs.
     
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  15. The Speeding Carnotaurus

    The Speeding Carnotaurus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    You can’t keep them but you can attract them.
    Anyways I’d also check out the elephant odyssey exhibit
     
  16. lintworm

    lintworm Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Japanese zoos tend to disagree....
     
  17. The Speeding Carnotaurus

    The Speeding Carnotaurus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Huh, never heard of that. Do you know which zoo? :)
     
  18. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    But see this thread: Dragonflies in Captivity
     
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  19. Kakapo

    Kakapo Well-Known Member

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    So, you basically can copy and paste my already tought living fossil exhibit. You can read it here:
    ZooChat's First Community Zoo!
     
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  20. Jurek7

    Jurek7 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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