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The Original Animals

The first land animals explored planet Earth around 450 million years ago. Before this time most early creatures came from the ocean.

There were prehistoric Arthropods, creatures similar to modern day insects, millipedes, and spiders that had tough exoskeletons on the outside and jointed legs. If prehistoric arthropods were still roaming the Earth today, such as the arthropleura, they’d be a creature you would not want to encounter. It was longer than most humans, as well as the largest land arthropod ever. This creature resembles a giant centipede and measured about seven feet in length!

As animals began to surface on land, they adapted to their new environment. Amphibians slowly developed backbones that helped them move quickly in and out of water. They often returned to their original environment to breed and lay eggs.

The Gerrothrorax was a skilled amphibian hunter that measured to about three feet wide, spending most of its time at the bottom of ponds and streams waiting for fish. Gerrothrarax tracked their prey from below, and once ready, quickly swam above and captured their prey. The Acanthostega is another interesting creature that uses its toes to grab plants in water and swamps. Today's amphibians, like frogs, still go back to water to lay their eggs.

Fins transformed into legs, including tails. Most amphibians evolved to be as large as crocodiles. The Eogyrinus was a prehistoric amphibian that was about 16 feet long and had powerful jaws that are similar to those of a crocodile. It lived mostly about 300 million years ago, long before crocodiles arrived. Although Eogyriihusiare could walk on dry land it mostly inhabited streams and swamps. Prehistoric animals are very interesting and left behind bones and fossils that can still be discovered and learned about, and can even help us understand modern animals today!.

[Source: 100 things you should learn about prehistoric life]

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