Fossil Coelacanth Plate

THE REMARKABLE "LIVING FOSSIL"

Coelacanths are probably best known for their relatively recent "reappearance." Originally thought to have gone extinct alongside the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period, they were rediscovered alive in 1938 when a single specimen was caught by a fisherman off the coast of South Africa.

A lobe-finned fish more closely related to amphibians and reptiles than to other fish, the coelacanth boasts a lineage more than 400 million years old. Few morphological changes are seen when comparing living specimens to those in the ancient fossil record, thus earning the coelacanth the moniker of a “living fossil.” As a result, they are also crucial to our understanding of the incredible vertebrate transition from water to land.

Today, only two coelacanth species remain, primarily inhabiting the southern and eastern African coasts, with rare sightings in the waters surrounding Indonesia. With a lifespan of nearly a century, these scaly, armored fish can grow to more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length and weigh up to 200 pounds (90 kg). Coelacanths also boast an incredibly long, 5-year gestation period, resulting in embryos that hatch inside the mother and are subsequently born alive.

This specimen represents one of the precious few complete coelacanths to have been extracted from the Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone fossil bed. This fossil plate has preserved in exquisite detail the coelacanth's delicate structure, adding greatly to its aesthetic appeal and scientific value. An enigmatic animal, this fossil is a special piece in life's evolutionary puzzle.