Tag

Coelacanth

All articles tagged with #coelacanth

science23 days ago•11 min saved

From Fossil to Living Legend: The 1938 Coelacanth Discovery in East London

In 1938, East London Museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer found a heavy blue coelacanth in a trawler’s discard, a fish science had believed extinct for tens of millions of years. Ichthyologist J.L.B. Smith confirmed its identity as Latimeria chalumnae, publishing the finding in Nature and showing that absence of evidence in the fossil record does not prove extinction. The discovery sparked shifts in how scientists view ‘living fossils’ and evolution, and later work revealed ongoing genomic change despite the fish’s ancient lineage.

via Space Daily|

#coelacanth #jlb-smith #living-fossil

natural-sciences1 month ago•28 min saved

Ancient Fishes Survived the Ages: Six Lineages Still Swim Today

A science feature highlights six ancient fish lineages—coelacanth, sturgeon, lungfish, lamprey, hagfish, and paddlefish—that have persisted for hundreds of millions of years, offering insights into vertebrate evolution while slowly evolving at the genetic level, and notes how modern threats like habitat loss and pollution endanger these evolutionary treasures.

via ZME Science|

#coelacanth #hagfish #lamprey

science2 months ago•8 min saved

A Living Fossil's Shocking Return: Coelacanth Rewrites Extinction Story

In 1938 a self-taught East London museum curator found a coelacanth, long believed extinct, prompting J.L.B. Smith to spend 14 years proving its survival; the living fish, a Lazarus taxon, challenged assumptions about extinction and revealed a lineage spanning hundreds of millions of years, with subsequent finds expanding its known range and confirming its rarity and vulnerability into modern times.

via A-Z Animals|

#coelacanth #extinction #jlb-smith

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Ancient Coelacanth Fossil Rewrites a Crucial Chapter in Its 400-Million-Year Lineage

A 150-year-old fossil at London’s Natural History Museum has been identified as a new coelacanth species, Macropoma gombessae, using 3D XCT imaging. The find fills a 50-million-year gap in the coelacanth fossil record, shedding light on how these 'living fossils' persisted with little change and underscoring the value of museum collections and modern technology in paleontology.

via Indian Defence Review|

#coelacanth #evolution #macropoma-gombessae

science6 months ago•4 min saved

Ancient Relatives of Dinosaur-Resilient Fish Discovered

A new study reexamines over 50 fossils from the Late Triassic period in Britain, revealing they are ancient coelacanths, related to modern species, and correcting past mislabeling. These findings shed light on the diversity and ecology of coelacanths just before the end-Triassic extinction, emphasizing the importance of museum collections in scientific discovery.

via Earth.com|

#british-museum #coelacanth #fossils

science8 months ago•4 min saved

Prehistoric Fish Thought Extinct Reappears Alive on Camera

Deep technical divers in Indonesia captured the first-ever live footage of a Sulawesi coelacanth in its natural habitat, confirming its survival and extending its known range, highlighting the species' rarity and the need for conservation efforts.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#coelacanth #deep-sea-discovery #indonesia

science9 months ago•2 min saved

Scientists Discover 150-Year-Old 'Living Fossil' Fish Hidden in Plain Sight

Researchers uncovered over fifty Triassic coelacanth fossils in UK museums, many misidentified for over 150 years, revealing a complex ancient ecosystem and expanding knowledge of this 'living fossil' from the time when the UK was a tropical sea archipelago.

via SciTechDaily|

#coelacanth #fossil-discovery #living-fossil

science10 months ago•2 min saved

New 'Living Fossil' Fish Species Discovered After 150 Years

Researchers have identified over 50 coelacanth fossils from the British Triassic period, dating back around 200 million years, revealing a complex community of these 'living fossil' fish that had been misidentified or overlooked in museum collections for over 150 years.

via Phys.org|

#coelacanth #fossil-discovery #living-fossil

science11 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Capture Photos of 70-Million-Year-Old Extinct Fish

Scientists in Indonesia captured the first live photos of the rare and ancient coelacanth fish, Latimeria menadoensis, revealing its habitat and emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts to protect this vulnerable species, which has survived for over 400 million years and offers insights into fish evolution and limb development.

via Earth.com|

#coelacanth #conservation #deep-sea-exploration

science11 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient Fish Challenges Our Understanding of Evolution

A new study of the coelacanth fish revealed that many muscles previously thought to be present were actually ligaments, challenging long-held beliefs about its anatomy and evolution, and showing it is more similar to sharks and tetrapods than to ray-finned fish.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#coelacanth #discovery #evolution

science11 months ago•4 min saved

Ancient Fish Challenges Our Evolutionary Understanding

A recent study re-examining the coelacanth, a 'living fossil,' revealed that many previously identified evolutionary traits were incorrect, leading to new insights into vertebrate evolution and showing that coelacanths are more similar to cartilaginous fish and tetrapods than previously thought.

via ScienceDaily|

#coelacanth #evolution #fossil

science11 months ago•5 min saved

Revised Fish Anatomy Alters Understanding of Vertebrate Skull Evolution

A new study revises the understanding of coelacanth fish anatomy, revealing that many previously thought evolutionary muscle features are actually ligaments, which reshapes our view of vertebrate skull evolution and shows coelacanths are more similar to sharks and tetrapods than previously believed.

via Phys.org|

#coelacanth #cranial-musculature #fish-anatomy

science1 year ago•3 min saved

240-Million-Year-Old Species Discovered with Particle Accelerator

Scientists have discovered a new species of coelacanth, Graulia branchiodonta, using the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France. This extinct fish, dating back 240 million years, was found in exceptional condition, allowing researchers to create detailed 3D models of its skeleton. The study highlights the potential of synchrotron technology in paleontology, offering unprecedented insights into ancient species and their evolutionary history.

via The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel|

#coelacanth #fossil #new-species

science-and-nature2 years ago•6 min saved

"Unchanged Through Time: 5 Living Fossils of the Earth"

The article discusses five "living fossils" that have survived for millions of years, including the horseshoe crab, tuatara, nautilus, coelacanth, and ginkgo tree. These organisms are descendants of ancient lineages and closely resemble their fossilized ancestors. Despite their outward similarity, their DNA has evolved over time. The survival of these living fossils is attributed to their tolerance for environmental conditions and marine habitats. However, human interference and exploitation have endangered some of these species, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts.

via National Geographic|

#coelacanth #ginkgo-tree #horseshoe-crab

science2 years ago•2 min saved

"Resurrected from Extinction: The Remarkable Centenarian West Indian Ocean Coelacanth"

The West Indian Ocean coelacanth, a Lazarus species once thought to be extinct for over 65 million years, was rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938. These ancient bony fish can grow up to 6.5 feet long, weigh up to 198 pounds, and live for up to 100 years. They have slow metabolism, low oxygen absorption, and a unique skeleton that allows them to hunt while doing a headstand. Coelacanths reach sexual maturity late, with males breeding from age 40 and females from age 58, and have the longest gestation period of any known vertebrate, lasting five years.

via Livescience.com|

#coelacanth #lazarus-species #longevity