Coelacanths: Order Coelacanthiformes

A Living Fossil

Coelacanths are what some people call “living fossils”.  They were known only from fossils until the first fish was discovered in South Africa.  Since then almost 200 West African Ocean Coelacanths have been pulled up in the region and another species, the Indonesian Coelacanth has been discovered in Indonesian waters.

Fossil Coelocanths

The Coelacanth was a species abundant in fossils from the Cretaceous and Devonian, some 400 million years ago.  Since coelacanths are also alive today, why is it then that we have little to no record of their existence in the recent fossil record?  Scientists believe the reason for this is likely because the coelacanth went extinct in shallow inshore waters, areas that readily fossilize and whose rocks are pushed up and exposed at the surface.