Living fossils are a term attributed to a majority of creatures who appear to have been unaltered since their first appearance in the geological timeline. Take, for example, the Hermit Crab, which has remained relatively unchanged since it evolved 450 million years ago. read more
As such, the term may be attributed to the okapi because it seems relatively ancient compared to the giraffe. It is very close to its original progenitors and is called a living fossil due to its prolonged existence and physically resembles Samotherium, a primitive giraffid. read more
A fossil is the remains of something which lived in the dim, distant past. Fossilized bones, teeth and shells tell us of animals who lived million of years ago. Some, like the dinosaurs, perished from the earth. Only their fossilized bones tell us that they ever existed. read more
living fossil okapi The okapi is the only known living relative of the giraffe and lives in the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and western Uganda. It prefers to live a solitary and secluded life, away from human observation, and for this reason it was not discovered until 1900. read more