Why was the discovery of coelacanth so important to science?

Why was the discovery of coelacanth so important to science?

The discovery by science of the Coelacanth in 1938 caused so much excitement because at that time Coelacanths were thought to be the ancestors of the tetrapods (land-living animals, including humans). It is now believed that Lungfishes are the closest living relative of tetrapods.

How was the coelacanth rediscovered?

The coelacanth was rediscovered in 1938 by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, a thirty-two year old museum employee from the small South African town of East London. Out of curiosity Courtenay-Latimer looked through his catch and found a fish she was unable to identify.

What is so extraordinary about the discovery of the living coelacanth?

“It’s not a living fossil; it’s a living organism. It doesn’t live in a time bubble; it lives in our world, which is why it’s so fascinating to find out that its genes are evolving more slowly than ours,” she said.

When did the coelacanth get rediscovered?

1938
Coelacanths | National Geographic. Thought to have been long extinct, scientists discovered these “living fossils” in 1938.

Why is the coelacanth important to evolution?

Coelacanths are known as “living fossils,” as they show remarkable morphological resemblance to the fossil record and belong to the most primitive lineage of living Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods). Coelacanths may be key to elucidating the tempo and mode of evolution from fish to tetrapods.

Why are coelacanths living fossils?

The coelacanth was long considered a “living fossil” because scientists thought it was the sole remaining member of a taxon otherwise known only from fossils, with no close relations alive, and that it evolved into roughly its current form approximately 400 million years ago.

How did coelacanth survive?

Like all fish, today’s species of coelacanths use gills to extract oxygen from the water they live in. This could explain how it survived the extinction event 66 million years ago that wiped all non-avian dinosaurs and most other life from Earth — and probably those coelacanths inhabiting shallow waters, Dr Brito said.

Why are coelacanths considered living fossils?

What color were the eyes found on the coelacanth in South Africa?

In the wild, they have a deep blue color which is thought to help camouflage them from predators. The eyes of the coelacanth are extremely sensitive to light. They contain a special adaptation known as a tapetum, which is also found in cats, dogs, and dolphins.

What evolved from coelacanth?

The lack of coelacanth fossils in younger strata led them to conclude that coelacanths had gone extinct a long time ago. But the fish that now lay before Smith was no fossil. Coelacanths are as much affected by evolution as finches, ferns and flying lemurs.

What happened to the coelacanths?

Coelacanths were known for decades, but only as fossils. They appeared in the fossil record around 370 million years ago, had their heyday in terms of species diversity around 220 million years ago, and went into a long sunset that appeared to end with extinction, around 70 million years ago – just before the dinosaurs themselves perished.

Did the coelacanth evolve from dinosaurs?

The primitive-looking coelacanth (pronounced SEEL-uh-kanth) was thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. But its discovery in 1938 by a South African museum curator on a local fishing trawler fascinated the world and ignited a debate about how this bizarre lobe-finned fish fits into the evolution of land animals.

Are there coelacanths in the Indian Ocean?

In the Indian Ocean, only one capture (the original one in 1938) is from South Africa and this specimen was long thought to be a stray from the Comoran population. However, resident South African coelacanths have been sighted in deep canyons, initially by divers using mixed gas “rebreathers,” and subsequently by scientists using a submersible.

Where can I see preserved coelacanths in South Africa?

The specimen is identified as Latimeria chalumnae. In the Sant Ocean Hall at the National Museum of Natural History, you can see preserved coelacanths for yourself. The two coelacanths on display are on loan from the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity.