Respect Your Elders

Nautilus pompilius

One of the most ancient lifeforms on earth, nautili have been jetting around in the deep for 500 million years. The only cephalopod with an external shell, they live up to 20 years, way longer than their soft-bodied kin. They can survive extreme pressures and control their buoyancy by moving water between the chambers of their shell, which they continue to grow and add to throughout their lives. Their shells are a perfect representation of the sacred geomtry, or the Golden Ratio - fibonacci fractals found ubiquitously throughout nature. The nautilus teaches us to be reilient under pressure, and to never stop growing, learning, and expanding. 

Limulus polyphemus

The horseshoe crab is a true elder. More related to spiders than actual crabs, they've remained unchanged for over 400 million years. Alas, their populations are dwindling. For many years, they were used as bait and fertilizer, which is a tragically disrespectful way to treat your elders. More recently, we steal their blue blood to test all our FDA approved drugs. The horseshoe crab is here to remind us that we don't always need to change when the world around us does. You can be perfect just the way you are. And even if people judge you for what you look like, it's what's on the inside that counts. Your blood is magic.

Lampetra spp.

Lampreys are the prototype to modern day fish. They lack jaws, paired fins, scales, swim bladders, proper skeletons - and yet, they've been navigating between oceans and rivers for over 350 million years. These slimy little graboids can teach us the power of resilience and transformation as they wiggle their way across oceans and battle upstream to spawn. They also remind us that you don't always need the latest and greatest tech - keepin' it simple and being happy with what you have is a transformative lesson in this era of upgrades and endless consumption. 

Sphenodon punctatus

Tuataras have been chilling on the islands of New Zealand for over 250 million years. They're older than most dinosaurs. They may look like iguanas, but represent a completely different branch of life. They grow slowly, live over 100 years, tolerate temperatures that would kill most reptiles, and they have a third parietal eye that detects light and dark. Maori believe they are the guardians of knowledge, and western science would agree: they have one of the largest genomes ever sequenced - studying their genes is like opening a door into deep time, uncovering mysteries of our own evolution. The tuatara is here to teach us to breathe slow, live long, stay chill, and to not lose touch with our third eye intuitions. 

Opisthocomus hoazin

I almost chose a cassowary for this, but I think more people should know about the hoatzin. I just love this fellow swamp-dweller. It might be my terrestrial soul critter. Sometimes referred to as the skunk bird, it is loud, smelly, awkward, and nobody quite knows what to do with it, taxonomically speaking. Sometimes, they eat so much they can't fly. I see you, hoaztin. The last of an ancient line, they possess some suspiciously dinosaurian characteristics - clawed wing tips, a gut built to ferment vegetation (not normal for a bird), and undeniable archaeopteryx vibes. The hoatzin reminds us to protect the gifts of our ancestors, and to be proud of what makes you unique - punkrock plumage, aggressive manicures, and weird smells. 

Tachyglossus aculeatus

Echidnas and their duckbilled cousins, the platypus, are the last of the monotremes - ancient egg-laying mammals that are capable of electroreception. How neat is that?! Echidnas maintain the lowest body temperature of any mammal, and are shy, nocturnal burrowers that would rather curl up and snooze than fight. The echidna can teach us to stay cool, take it slow, and find time for solitary introspection. Also, don't be afraid to curl up and protect yourself from the harshness of the world sometimes. Be weird. Be unique. Burrow down and take a nap.