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.