Contemporary coelacanths are often described as living fossils. Superficially, that may be true. But new evidence now makes that nickname less valid.
The two species of the large-boned lungfish alive today don’t look that much different than the first known coelacanth fossil dating back over 410 million years ago. But two new fossils show that the species did evolve — albeit slowly and subtly. Also, scientists for the first time link evolution to tectonic activity, according to a report in Nature Communications.
Coelacanth Fossils Discovered in Australia
There is much to unpack in the significance of the study. First, it describes a new species of coelacanth.
