Lore Legends 26: Living Fossils
Apr 29, 2024
Explore the resilience of living fossils and the adaptability of species, like the peppered moth. Discover myths of elusive creatures in the Southern Hemisphere. Unveil the mystery of the mokhele mime, a cryptid in the Congo. Learn about the rediscovery of the Silacanth fish, believed to be extinct for millions of years.
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Adaptation Spurs Legendary Survival
- Nature often preserves species through adaptation rather than luck, as shown by the peppered moth example during industrial soot events.
- Such biological persistence fuels folklore imagining ancient survivors still living among us.
The Moa: Giant Birds Lost To Humans
- The moa were large, wingless birds in New Zealand that humans hunted to extinction soon after Polynesian arrival.
- Their bones, feathers, and skin were used for food, clothing, and tools, erasing them from living fauna.
Post-Extinction Moa Sightings
- Despite extinction in records, repeated moa sightings and footprint reports persisted through the 1800s into the 1990s.
- Witnesses described three-toed prints and distant running birds likened to emus and ostriches in New Zealand's South Island.