The author, a zoologist with a lifelong interest in cryptozoology, reveals how the animals of contemporary science contain many recently-discovered, living examples of ancient creatures, such as New Zealand's tuatara and the Coelacanth, providing evidence for believing that all is not what it might seem in the world of orthodox zoology. There are so many reports of unexplained animals that he argues that it would be rash for us to dismiss entirely the likelihood that certain prehistoric lineages have elusive modern-day representatives still awaiting formal scientific discovery.