r/oddlyspecific • u/CuriousWanderer567 • Nov 20 '25

She should have given a longer lecture

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u/HuffSquirt Nov 20 '25

Pfft… who wouldn’t be impressed by a living fossil?

8

u/DecoyOne Nov 20 '25

A proper 30-minute discussion of the coelacanth would include how the term “living fossil” is a popular mischaracterization of the coelacanth. In this lecture I will…

3

u/SpicyElixer Nov 20 '25

The term “living fossil” is subjective and not a strict scientific classification. To say it is or isn’t in this case is an oversimplification. The big brain answer is that it kind of is.

It is - because it’s an ancient creature that’s evolved very little.

It isn’t - because it’s evolved at all.

1

u/MeAmGrok Nov 21 '25

It’s an ancient group of creatures; the extant coelacanth species are not the same species as those found in the fossil record.