Fossils, Living

Coelacanth

The present-day coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, is believed to be a fish from which the first amphibians may have evolved approximately 400 million years ago (mya). The discovery of a living specimen during the mid-20th century caught scientists unaware since such fish were thought to be extinct. Through subsequent investigations, the Latimeria chalumnae, which resembles coelacanths from 100 mya, was determined to live off the Comoro Islands at depths of more than 500 feet. Ichthyologists believe that limited competition and a lack of natural predators provided Latimeria chalumnae with a stable environment in which to survive relatively unchanged. Whatever circumstances made it possible for a coelacanth species to survive, and no matter the distinctive differences between Latimeria chalumnae and its predecessors, there is no question of the coelacanth's status as a living fossil.

Coniferous Trees

Vast grasslands covered much of North America when Native Americans first explored the continent over 12,000 years ago. Even then, coniferous trees, including pine and spruce variants, existed; a great span of time in terms of humanity's antiquity, but a mere instant in the life of conifers.

Coniferous trees surfaced toward the end of the Paleozoic era, over 200 mya. A plant variety we consider so ordinary today, using pine and spruce for lawn decoration and even holiday fixtures, has an antiquity rivaling dinosaurs, making conifers living fossils hidden in plain sight.

Dragonflies

A multitude of dragonfly species exist today, all of which possess bodies that are as lethal as they are elegant. Dragonflies are predators, subsisting on a diet of mosquitoes, midges, and other small insects. Two sets of strong wings enable them to hover and then accelerate rapidly. Remarkably, these persistent insect-hunters are continuing on an evolutionary trek encompassing more than 300 million years. As for contemporary species, they started surfacing roughly 100 mya. A recognizable form of that antiquity certainly qualifies the dragonfly as a living fossil.

Ferns

Fern species are as diverse as they are ancient, the variety of fern designs seemingly endless. Yet, such diversity does not mean that modern ferns do not bear any significant resemblance to older forms. In fact, the complex designs of modern ferns mirror those of ferns that appeared approximately 300 mya. Then, as now, ferns endured changing climates and survived while other plant and animal species disappeared. This endurance of fern species, as potent now as it was millions of years ago, is what earned ferns the title of living fossils.

Goblin SharL

The infamy of Carcharodon carcharias (great white shark) continues to capture the attention of researchers and beach enthusiasts alike. Consequently, our understanding of Carcharodon carcharias has increased dramatically to include a clearer knowledge of its earliest (modern) ancestors, which emerged approximately 60 mya. Yet, with even so lengthy a history, Carcharodon carcharias[Page 547]is far from being an elder among shark species. Today, a number of sharks reflect nearly 100 million years of relative stasis, earning them the tide of living fossil. Of these, Mitsukurina owstoni (the goblin shark) is arguably the most unique.

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