What are living fossils?

Do you know what living fossils are? You are probably familiar with fossils, but do you know what living fossils are? Living fossils are not found by digging through sediment layers; instead, they can be spotted almost anywhere.

The total number of species in Finland is estimated to be at least 48,000. Research is ongoing, and new species continue to be discovered. At the same time, however, some species are at risk of disappearing entirely from Finland. On the other hand, there are still species that have existed for millions of years.

Certain organisms found in Finland have remained almost unchanged since prehistoric times. These organisms are called living fossils. The term comes from the fact that fossils of that species or group have been found that are almost identical to individuals living today. This is evidence that the species has remained similar since prehistoric times.

In the Aura River Valley, you can encounter several of Finland’s living fossils. Living fossils include, for example, grebes, waterfowl, dragonflies, horsetails, and the hedgehog.

Did you know that the oldest dragonfly fossils date back 325 million years?