Showing posts tagged coelacanth
‘Living Fossil’ Gets Its Genome Sequenced by Amy Maxmen The coelacanth isn’t called a “living fossil” for nothing. The 2-meter-long, 90 kg fish was thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago—until a fisherman caught one in 1938—and the animal looks a lot like its fossil ancestors dating back 300 million years. Now, the first analysis of the coelacanth’s genome reveals why the fish may have changed so little over the ages. It also may help explain how fish like it moved onto land long ago. “I’m very excited about this paper because coelacanths are animals that we really want to know more about,” says Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who was not involved with the study. In order to sequence a coelacanth’s (Latimeria chalumnae) genome, scientists required fresh tissue and blood. That’s no easy task: These fish dwell in deep-sea caves and are exceedingly rare. Only 309 have been spotted in the past 75 years, off the east coast of sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia. Moreover, caught coelacanths die immediately because of the change in pressure and temperature, and under the hot tropical sun, their DNA quickly degrades… (read more: Science NOW)              (photo: Alberto Fernandez) View high resolution

‘Living Fossil’ Gets Its Genome Sequenced

by Amy Maxmen

The coelacanth isn’t called a “living fossil” for nothing. The 2-meter-long, 90 kg fish was thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago—until a fisherman caught one in 1938—and the animal looks a lot like its fossil ancestors dating back 300 million years. Now, the first analysis of the coelacanth’s genome reveals why the fish may have changed so little over the ages. It also may help explain how fish like it moved onto land long ago.

“I’m very excited about this paper because coelacanths are animals that we really want to know more about,” says Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who was not involved with the study.

In order to sequence a coelacanth’s (Latimeria chalumnae) genome, scientists required fresh tissue and blood. That’s no easy task: These fish dwell in deep-sea caves and are exceedingly rare. Only 309 have been spotted in the past 75 years, off the east coast of sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia. Moreover, caught coelacanths die immediately because of the change in pressure and temperature, and under the hot tropical sun, their DNA quickly degrades…

(read more: Science NOW)              (photo: Alberto Fernandez)

analyse-despise-scrutinise: Prehistoric Fishes

analyse-despise-scrutinise: Prehistoric Fishes

(Reblogged from dendroica)

Newly Discovered Rebel Coelacanth

by Christine Dell’Amore

The coelacanth (pronounced SEE-la-kanth) is a primitive, slow-moving fish that’s sometimes called a living fossil, because it apparently existed largely unchanged for 320 million years. There are 40 known coelacanth species, 2 of which are alive today.

All other known coelacanths have broad, rounded tails designed for slow bursts of motion. But Rebellatrix had a huge, forked tail and streamlined body that likely allowed the ancient fish to cruise long distances and hunt prey at high speeds, said study leader Andrew Wendruff, a biologist at the University of Alberta in Canada. According to Wendruff, the team named the discovery Rebellatrix because, like a true rebel, “it does everything a coelacanth should not do…”

(Read the full story: National Geo)

(images: T- Illustration of Rebellatrix by Michael Skrepnic; ML & MR - Photos courtesy Andrew Wendruff and Mark Wilson; BR - the modern extant Coelacanth photo by Laurent Ballesta, National Geographic)

The Top of the Line of Coelacanths by Sid Perkins Paleontologists have long thought of the coelacanth as a stodgy old slowpoke: Two modern-day species of the fish—considered living fossils because of their remarkable similarity to ancient coelacanths—typically swim in a slow, almost dawdling manner. As a group, coelacanths had apparently kept the same basic body plan for hundreds of millions of years. But now, researchers have found fossils of a sleeker coelacanth—one that likely was a speedy, shark-like predator in the ancient seas west of the supercontinent Pangaea about 240 million years ago. Unlike all previously known specimens, which have fleshy, three-lobed tails fringed with flexible fins, the new species (artist’s reconstruction shown) had a stiff, crescent-shaped tail like modern-day tuna and barracuda, both of which are famed for their speed. The team has dubbed the new species Rebellatrix divaricerca, “the rebel coelacanth with the forked tail.” Although more streamlined than previously known coelacanths, Rebellatrix, which the researchers estimate grew to reach at least 1.3 meters in length, was more thick-bodied than today’s tuna and, therefore, probably slower. The new specimens, described in the May Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,may mark the first species in a yet-to-be-discovered trove of coelacanth diversity, the researchers say. Or, the Corvette of coelacanths may have evolved to fill an ecological niche left vacant when more than 95% of the ocean’s species disappeared in a mass extinction about 252 million years ago. (via: Science NOW)     (image: Michael Skrepnick) View high resolution

The Top of the Line of Coelacanths

by Sid Perkins

Paleontologists have long thought of the coelacanth as a stodgy old slowpoke: Two modern-day species of the fish—considered living fossils because of their remarkable similarity to ancient coelacanths—typically swim in a slow, almost dawdling manner.

As a group, coelacanths had apparently kept the same basic body plan for hundreds of millions of years. But now, researchers have found fossils of a sleeker coelacanth—one that likely was a speedy, shark-like predator in the ancient seas west of the supercontinent Pangaea about 240 million years ago. Unlike all previously known specimens, which have fleshy, three-lobed tails fringed with flexible fins, the new species (artist’s reconstruction shown) had a stiff, crescent-shaped tail like modern-day tuna and barracuda, both of which are famed for their speed.

The team has dubbed the new species Rebellatrix divaricerca, “the rebel coelacanth with the forked tail.” Although more streamlined than previously known coelacanths, Rebellatrix, which the researchers estimate grew to reach at least 1.3 meters in length, was more thick-bodied than today’s tuna and, therefore, probably slower. The new specimens, described in the May Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,may mark the first species in a yet-to-be-discovered trove of coelacanth diversity, the researchers say. Or, the Corvette of coelacanths may have evolved to fill an ecological niche left vacant when more than 95% of the ocean’s species disappeared in a mass extinction about 252 million years ago.

(via: Science NOW)     (image: Michael Skrepnick)

Late Devonian vertebrate speciation; descendants of pelagic lobe-finned fish including early tetrapods as well as other lobe-finned fish. (image: David Souza) View high resolution

Late Devonian vertebrate speciation; descendants of pelagic lobe-finned fish including early tetrapods as well as other lobe-finned fish.

(image: David Souza)

Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) by National Geo staff 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. There are only two known species of coelacanths: one that lives near the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa, and one found in the waters off Sulawesi, Indonesia. Many scientists believe that the unique characteristics of the coelacanth represent an early step in the evolution of fish to terrestrial four-legged animals like amphibians. The most striking feature of this “living fossil” is its paired lobe fins that extend away from its body like legs and move in an alternating pattern, like a trotting horse. Other unique characteristics include a hinged joint in the skull which allows the fish to widen its mouth for large prey; an oil-filled tube, called a notochord, which serves as a backbone; thick scales common only to extinct fish, and an electrosensory rostral organ in its snout likely used to detect prey… (read more: National Geo)     (photo: Gerard Lacz/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes) View high resolution

Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

by National Geo staff

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.

There are only two known species of coelacanths: one that lives near the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa, and one found in the waters off Sulawesi, Indonesia. Many scientists believe that the unique characteristics of the coelacanth represent an early step in the evolution of fish to terrestrial four-legged animals like amphibians.

The most striking feature of this “living fossil” is its paired lobe fins that extend away from its body like legs and move in an alternating pattern, like a trotting horse. Other unique characteristics include a hinged joint in the skull which allows the fish to widen its mouth for large prey; an oil-filled tube, called a notochord, which serves as a backbone; thick scales common only to extinct fish, and an electrosensory rostral organ in its snout likely used to detect prey…

(read more: National Geo)    

(photo: Gerard Lacz/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes)

lifethroughgeologictime: Living Fossil - Coelacanth Coelacanth is a lobe-finned fish that dates all the way back to the Devonian, and were believed to have gone extinct around the end of the Cretaceous. Before its rediscovery in 1938 it was thought to be the “missing link” between fish and tetrapods, though it is apparently no longer the case that it is the link, coelacanth is still closer related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fish. It has remained roughly unchanged for ~400 million years. There are two living species, Latimeria chalumnae (West Indian Ocean Coelacanth (pictured above,)) and L. menadoensis (the Indonesian Coelacanth.) Its rediscovery in 1938 after virtually falling off the fossil record qualifies it as probably the best example of the Lazarus Taxon.  Photo is from the Wikimedia Commons, its information can be found at this link.

lifethroughgeologictime: Living Fossil - Coelacanth

Coelacanth is a lobe-finned fish that dates all the way back to the Devonian, and were believed to have gone extinct around the end of the Cretaceous. Before its rediscovery in 1938 it was thought to be the “missing link” between fish and tetrapods, though it is apparently no longer the case that it is the link, coelacanth is still closer related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fish. It has remained roughly unchanged for ~400 million years. There are two living species, Latimeria chalumnae (West Indian Ocean Coelacanth (pictured above,)) and L. menadoensis (the Indonesian Coelacanth.) Its rediscovery in 1938 after virtually falling off the fossil record qualifies it as probably the best example of the Lazarus Taxon. 

Photo is from the Wikimedia Commons, its information can be found at this link.

(Reblogged from 14-billion-years-later)
distritomural: Coelacanth by Matt Verges View high resolution

distritomural: Coelacanth by Matt Verges

(Reblogged from distritomural)
something-whimsical: Coelacanth by Mark Schultz View high resolution

something-whimsical: Coelacanth by Mark Schultz

(Reblogged from something-whimsical)
littlearchitect: Coelacanths by emlan View high resolution

littlearchitect: Coelacanths by emlan

(Source: rilakkusami)

(Reblogged from littlearchitect)
matthewvonhumboldt: Coelacanth View high resolution

matthewvonhumboldt: Coelacanth

(Reblogged from matthewvonhumboldt)
Have I ever mentioned to you that I have… Evolvems:  Coelocanth (ancient, and still extant fish) evolves into Ichthyostega (ancient amphibian like Tetrapod)

Have I ever mentioned to you that I have…

Evolvems:  Coelocanth (ancient, and still extant fish) evolves into Ichthyostega (ancient amphibian like Tetrapod)

The Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

… a ‘living fossil’ previously believed to have gone extinct at the time of the dinosaurs until the first scientifically noted rediscovery in 1938 . This amazing specimen was dubbed the ‘most important zoological find of the century’, and the species is a member of an ancient lineage that has been around for over 360 million years. Unlike any other living animal, coelacanths have a hinged joint in the skull, which allows the front part of the head to be lifted whilst feeding. They also have limb-like, lobed pectoral and pelvic fins and a unique tail consisting of three distinct lobes (5). Adding to the excitement surrounding the species is the ongoing controversy as to whether coelacanths or lungfish represent the closest living relatives to the first creature to walk on land. The scaly body is dark blue or brown in colour with white speckles, the pattern of which is unique to each individual and provides good camouflage against cave walls. A further unique feature is a receptor in the rostral organ of the head which can detect electric fields and may be used to locate prey or monitor its surroundings…

(read more: ARKive)

poecilotheria: Coelacanth

poecilotheria: Coelacanth

(Reblogged from poecilotheria)
Coelacanths Can Live Past 100, Don’t Show Age? Not only is the coelacanth one of the world’s oldest fish species, but the individual fish may also be long-lived. A new study suggests the ancient fish can live up to a hundred years and even longer. Until 1938, when a coelacanth was found off Africa’s coast, scientists had believed the fish went extinct 65 million years ago with a related lineage of prehistoric fishes. After the coelacanth’s rediscovery, a number of populations were uncovered in parts of the western Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific Ocean. Whether these populations were interconnected was a mystery… (read more: National Geo) View high resolution

Coelacanths Can Live Past 100, Don’t Show Age?

Not only is the coelacanth one of the world’s oldest fish species, but the individual fish may also be long-lived. A new study suggests the ancient fish can live up to a hundred years and even longer.

Until 1938, when a coelacanth was found off Africa’s coast, scientists had believed the fish went extinct 65 million years ago with a related lineage of prehistoric fishes. After the coelacanth’s rediscovery, a number of populations were uncovered in parts of the western Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific Ocean. Whether these populations were interconnected was a mystery…

(read more: National Geo)