Helicoprion, Makhluk Prasejarah yang Unik

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Jika kita berpikir bahwa cryptid Jepang yang dikenal dengan nama Ningen itu aneh, maka apa yang anda pikirkan tentang makhluk yang satu ini? Hewan eksotik ini dikenal dengan nama Helicoprion, salah satu makhluk prasejarah yang pernah hidup hingga awal era Triassic.


Helicoprion masih kerabat dekat dari hiu, salah satu hewan yang mampu bertahan hidup hingga saat ini. Helicoprion diperkirakan bertahan hidup hingga awal era Triassic sekitar 225 juta tahun yang lalu, sampai akhirnya punah.

Ahli purbakala memperkirakan bahwa helicoprion merupakan salah satu hiu prasejarah yang memiliki struktur rahang yang unik. Dengan ukuran tubuh yang bisa mencapai 15 kaki, bisa dibayangkan jika hewan ini masih berkeliaran di laut di era modern ini. Jika kita lihat gambar dari Helicoprion, susunan giginya tampak berbeda dengan hiu pada umumnya,namun helicoprion memiliki kesamaan dengan kerabat dekatnya itu. Gigi - giginya juga akan tanggal dan akan digantikan dengan gigi yang baru. Gigi yang menyerupai seperti gergaji ini sangat tajam dan digunakan untuk membunuh mangsanya dengan mudah.

Para ahli beranggapan bahwa gigi - gigi yang terbentuk di rahang bawahnya bisa menghambat pergerakan dari hewan ini sendiri, karena jika hewan ini berenang dengan kecepatan tinggi, maka akan mempengaruhi keseimbangannya. Karena itu, para ahli menganggap bahwa helicoprion memangsa hewan - hewan kecil dan lunak. Beberapa ahli purbakala bahkan mengatakan jika makanan utama hewan ini adalah ammonites, sejenis kerang purbakala.

Meskipun gambar rekonstruksinya telah dirilis, tetapi saya merasa ada yang janggal dengan hewan ini. Jika kita lihat fosil yang ditemukan, tampak hanya bagian yang disinyalir rahang bawah helicoprion. Saya kembali heran, bagaimana para ahli purbakala itu merekonstruksi bentuk hewan ini hanya dengan penemuan satu fosil itu saja.

Saya mencoba googling untuk mencari fosil helicoprion lainnya, sayangnya saya tidak dapat menemukannya. Semua gambar mirip, hanya berbeda ukuran gambarnya saja, jadi saya heran tentang bagaimana ahli purbakala itu merekonstruksinya.

Menurut saya, fosil yang diduga rahang bawah helicoprion itu mirip dengan fosil ammonites, sejenis kerang prasejarah, walaupun agak sedikit berbeda. Tetapi, saya bukan ahli purbakala, hanya pendapat dari seseorang yang awam dan penasaran tentang fosil hewan ini.

Oh iya, hewan ini telah diidentifikasi klasifikasinya dalam sains, berikut datanya :

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Chondrichthyes
Order : Eugeneodontida
Family : Agassizodontidae
Genus : Helicoprion

Spesies : H. ferrieri,H. sierrensis,H. nevadensis,H. davish,H. bessonovi (holotype),H. ergasaminon,H. mexicanus

Mungkin ini adalah salah satu jenis hiu purbakala yang jarang diketahui publik. Jika hewan ini benar - benar pernah eksis di bumi, maka hiu ini adalah hiu paling unik yang pernah hidup.

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10 Top Secret Places on Earth

The world is full of secret and exclusive places that we either don’t know about, or simply couldn’t visit if we wanted to. This list takes a look at ten of the most significant places around the world that are closed to the general public or are virtually impossible for the general public to visit.

So here I have compiled a list of some of the most secretive places on earth. These are the places which you definitely can’t visit easily.

Mezhgorye

Russia’s massive secret underground facility at Yamantau Mountain and the city of Mezhgorye is rumored that the Yamantau Mountain project was associated with the so-called ‘Dead Hand’ nuclear retaliatory command and control system for strategic missiles.

Vatican Secret Archives

Vatican Secret Archives, which are as vast as they are old. Headed by a cardinal like the Vatican Library, another rumored storehouse of secrets, they partially open today to a few approved scholars who are let in only with specific purposes and with permission of the Pope.

Club 33

Since 1967 Disney’s Exclusive Club 33, Walt Disney felt that he needed a special private place where he could entertain sponsors and other guests. After he had died Disney Land decided to make Club 33 open only to special members. As of June 2007, the membership waiting list was 14 years.

Moscow Metro-2

Metro-2 in Moscow, Russia has a secret underground metro system which parallels the public Moscow Metro. It is said to connect the Kremlin with the FSB headquarters, the government airport at Vnukovo-2. In the late 1940s Stalin had created the tunnels in the event of a nuclear war. 

White’s Gentlemen’s Club

It was established in 1693 to sell hot chocolate, a rare and expensive commodity at the time. Now its membership is reserved for the wealthiest and most influential members of society. 

Area 51

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Area 51 which is known for its secretive nature and undoubted connection to classified aircraft research, together with reports of unusual phenomena, have led Area 51 to become a focus of modern UFO and conspiracy theories. Located at Groom Lake, it is a large secretive military base.

Room 39

Room 39 is one of the most secret organizations in arguably the world’s most secretive state. Its mission is to obtain foreign currency for Supreme Leader of North Korea. The powerful entity, which has existed for decades, is believed to raise funds through business ventures, some legitimate and some not. Room 39 is believed to be located inside a ruling Workers’ Party building in Pyongyang.

Ise Grand Shrine

The Ise Grand Shrine which is located in Japan is considered arguably one of the most sacred, holiest and important places in Japan. Shrine is demolished and Rebuilt once every twenty years. The only people who are able to access the shrine are the Japanese imperial family and the high priestesses and priests.

Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center

Just 46 miles from Washington DC, a mysteriousand secretive underground military base exists, located deep inside a mountain near the rural town of Bluemont, Virginia. Said to be equipped with all amenities of life. In the event of nuclear war, declaration of martial law, or other national emergency, the President, his cabinet and the rest of the Executive Branch would be “relocated” to Mount Weather.

RAF Menwith Hill

Known for its connection with Echelon spy network. The Menwith Hill spy base near Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. It has been the key link in a worldwide eavesdropping network.

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