'Living fossils' found years after being feared extinct

A SPECIES of the oldest living creatures on the planet have been discovered in Dumfriesshire - 50 years after they were thought to have become extinct in Scotland.

Nature experts yesterday revealed they stumbled across the rare colony of tadpole shrimps at Caerlaverock while they were looking for toads.

The crustaceans from the Triassic period, which pre-date dinosaurs, were thought to have been wiped out in Scotland decades ago.

They were last seen north of the Border in 1948, until they turned up in a pool at a nature reserve in the Solway Firth.

Dr Larry Griffin, a senior researcher,

said: "It is like coming across a living fossil in your own back yard.

"It was really exciting when I realised I was on to something different."