In Search of Prehistoric Survivors

Karl P. N. Shuker examines reports of animals thought to have vanished from the fossil record, asking whether some might still survive in remote habitats. The coelacanth provides a documented starting point: a fish once known only from fossils before living specimens were identified in the 20th century.

From there, the book turns to cryptozoological accounts of flying creatures resembling pterodactyls, prehistoric giant vultures and sea animals reportedly related to plesiosaur-like sea serpents. These cases are presented as reported encounters and claims, set against questions about extinction, survival and zoological discovery. The result is an illustrated survey of alleged living fossils and the evidence offered for their continued existence.