Relic is a representative of the past, existing in our time

A rarity, a relic of a past epoch, a remoteness of a distant past, a persistant, an isolate - with such words one can define this concept. Simply put, a relic is a thing, a phenomenon, or an organism that has significantly survived its time. No wonder the word itself comes from the Latin relictum, which means "remnant".

Classification

In biology, the relic is first and foremost a living organism that has preserved its existence in a modern ecosystem, previously more widespread in the past geological epoch. So, scientists call phylogenetic relics plants and animals that died out many millions of years ago, and their individual representatives have survived to this day. And geographic relics are organisms that are preserved in this particular region. So, for example, in the Colchis the relic is chestnut, boxwood, rhododendron. The scientific value of such plants is great. Scientists believe that they are the real storehouses of information about previous eras.

Plants-relics

Not all rare plants are relics. Many of them have a limited habitat in which to find such a plant - a common thing. Belonging to relict plants is determined according to paleobotanical data. Many of them were widespread in the fauna of the past. So, the ginkgo plant is now the only representative of gymnosperms that once existed on Earth in abundance. And all known platans are found in the Mediterranean, and in Asia, and in North America. The same extensive but spatially broken area has another relict plant - lotus. According to the time scale, relict plants are classified into preglacial, glacial and postglacial. The oldest living plant can be ginkgo (silver apricot), the age of which, according to scientists, exceeds 200 million years. A metasequoia, found in China, also belongs to these peers of dinosaurs. All relic plants need to be saved and protected as valuable live "exhibits" of past days. In many countries, special reserves are organized, where the flora of the past is under the protection of the state.

Animals-relics

The most ancient relicts are bacteria (they are isolated in a special kingdom, distinct from animals and plants). Archebacteria that existed on the planet 2,5-4 billion years ago were discovered. Truly an old age!

In the underwater depths, some creatures that have survived their epoch for many millennia have been discovered. To such relics are referred to as brine-fishes or other, not less ancient, - a sea trait. Crabs of glipidia existed in the ocean waters about 70 million years ago and were considered extinct. Only recently scientists have discovered live representatives of an ancient species.

Among land animals there are also relict. One of them, a relic, is the Komodo dragon , a lizard, reaching 7 meters in length. The hatteria that inhabits New Zealand is also comparable in age to dinosaurs. And the amkuru, a stepping stone from fish to amphibians, existed another 400 million years ago. There are ancient representatives among the beetles and among the ants.

Trio "Relict"

And in music there are "relics". So, the famous trio in Russia performs Russian romances of the past years and has gained great popularity among thoughtful publics who love such works.

The trio Relict is a vivid representative of the so-called Russian style of singing a romance to the accompaniment of a classical guitar.