on a linen - textured background.
The Sandhill Crane is the "Horseshoe Crab of the bird world" as far as being a living fossil! The oldest (unequivocal) known Sandhill Crane fossil is 2.5 million years old, which is over one and a half times older than the earliest remains of most living species of birds! A 10 million year old crane fossil exists, but this fossil most likely represents a relative (or perhaps the direct ancestor) of modern - day Sandhill cranes.