Stories about dragons, sea snakes or mermaids today may seem fables to us, but most mythical animals actually have a real basis. Surprising as it may seem, many creatures that we consider fictitious actually exist or existed before, but have died out. To prove this, here is our list of animals that were mistaken for mythical creatures.
Okapi
These bizarre mammals, like small deer, live in the tropical forests of Africa and combine the features of a giraffe, zebra and antelope. When viewed from afar, they can resemble a zebra or a horse. The males of this amazing creature have two horns, but if you look at the animal from the side, it seems that there is only one horn.
Giant petite
The fossilized remains of the Gigantopithecus could lead to the yeti myth, and some researchers believe that perhaps the populations of this creature have survived in our time, giving rise to the legend of the yeti.
They may look like fictional characters, but these creatures were real monkeys that roamed the forests of Asia just 300, 000 years ago. In fact, the Gigantopithecus was the largest primate ever to live. The height of the creatures could reach 3 meters, the weight exceeded 450 kilograms.
Acquainted with the "rich" jeweler, Maria lost her expensive jewelry
My husband's favorite dessert: chocolate-spiced almond cookies
I always have a good strawberry crop: in spring I process it with hot water
Herring king
Giant fish, also known as the king of herring, is the world's longest fish with bones. Looking at this incredible animal, one can understand how it can give rise to incredible stories about sea snakes. Growing 20 meters in length, a giant fish glides most of its time along the deepest part of the ocean (from 300 to 1000 meters) and is rarely found on the surface. However, when this fish appears on the top of the water surface, it immediately becomes a legend.
Theropods
The scariest of all dinosaurs were theropods. This group even includes the ferocious T-Rex. You can only imagine what the early hunters thought when they came across the bones of theropods. In fact, many experts believe that the remains of dinosaurs could give rise to belief in dragons, as ancient cultures tried to explain the fossils of creatures that they had never seen alive. As for the whole mythology underlying the breath of fire and the concealment of treasures, you can probably attribute this to the human imagination.
Beluga whale
This creature lives in northern waters and belongs to the order of cetaceans. In appearance, it is somewhat similar to mermaids. Probably, it was this animal that served as a kind of impetus for creating the myth of the beautiful sea creatures - mermaids. However, it is worth confessing that beluga whales are not as attractive creatures as fictional characters.
From simple cans and bottles I make stylish home decoration
Iceland: the old plane is gradually “disappearing” with the help of local residents
You never know how he will lie: why green hair is good only on models
According to another version, manatees could serve as such an impetus for the emergence of the myth of mermaids. Christopher Columbus, swimming near Haiti, believed that he was looking at the mermaid when he saw his first manatee. Researcher John Smith also said that he once saw a mermaid, noting that she "was by no means unattractive."
Therefore, it is very difficult to establish which of these two animals served as the prototype of the mermaid, but we can certainly say that one of them.
Colossal squid
The legend of the mythical sea monster known as the Kraken, which in most cases resembles a cephalopod, probably comes from the appearance of giant or colossal squids. The extremities of this unusual animal are equipped with sharp hooks, some of which are rotated.
Since these animals prefer to live in the deep waters of the ocean, giant squids are rare, but still people managed to get a few images.
Protoceratops
These creatures were not too big dinosaurs that once wandered the earth in the territory of present-day Mongolia. The four-legged creature had a huge head and a beak of a parrot. Most likely, the ancient people who lived many years ago took the skeleton of this animal for the griffin fossil. They say that he had the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Even today, protoceratope fossils can be found throughout the Gobi Desert, and given the skeletal shape of animal fossils, it is easy to understand how the theory of griffins was originally conceived.
Secrets of popularity: invite colleagues to dine with you
The son of Oleg Gazmanov Philip turned into an athletic handsome man (new photos)Why in Japanese toilets hangs 12 rolls of paper, and the door is closed with 2 locks
Flamingo
The fiery shades of pink and red, which form a peculiar coloring of flamingos, can be so amazing that many believe these birds could give rise to the legend of the phoenix. The sacred fire bird, the mythical phoenix, was first identified by the ancient Egyptians as a heron with raspberry feathers. In fact, flamingos spend most of their time in the area where convection currents occur. Thanks to this natural flicker, the feathers appear to be burning.
Dwarf elephants
Look at this skull and you can believe that you are looking at the remains of a giant one-eyed beast. In fact, prehistoric dwarf elephants (with significantly smaller skulls than modern elephants) roamed the Mediterranean islands, including Crete, Sicily, Malta and Cyprus. These elephants are probably the prototypes of mythical creatures known as cyclops. The cavity in the skull is the central nasal cavity.
A great option for the hallway: how to sew a wall organizer of bright felt
What does beloved muse and legal wife of Alexander Panayotov look like (new photos)
Signs of the zodiac with a difficult character: Aquarius, CapricornDiprotodone
Diprotodon, also known as the giant wombat, was the largest marsupial ever lived. A huge creature existed 40, 000 years ago, which means that it lived long before people immigrated to Australia, where it actually lived. Some experts believe that diprotodon is the prototype of a mythical monster, known to Australian aborigines as bunip. Diprotodon still lives in the rich cultural memory of the Aboriginal people, and some tribes identify the diprotodon fossils as “bunip bones”. It is noteworthy that a fictional creature very similarly behaves in nature with a truly existing animal.
Plesiosaur
One of the most famous mythical creatures is the Loch Ness Monster. Most likely, the myth of this terrible animal appeared thanks to the plesiosaurus. Nessie is often described as an aquatic creature with a wide humpback and long neck, which corresponds to the description of the plesiosaurus. Although most experts believe that plesiosaurs disappeared along with most dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, there are people who believe that animal populations could survive in our time.
