living fossils
Ancient unchanged survivors
Living fossils are species that have remained essentially unchanged for millions of years, closely resembling their ancient ancestors found in the fossil record.
The coelacanth, horseshoe crab, and ginkgo tree are classic examples.
The term suggests evolutionary stasis—organisms so well-adapted to stable environments that natural selection has produced little visible change.
Scientists sometimes object that the phrase implies evolution has stopped, when in fact these species continue to evolve at the genetic level.
- coelacanthPrimordial fish still swimming
- lungfishFish that breathes air
- tuataraLast rhynchocephalian species
- ginkgoAncient Chinese deciduous tree
- horseshoe crabSpike-tailed marine arthropod
nautilus · relict species · cycads · platypus · sturgeon · ancient lineage · time capsule · deep time · tortoises · relicts · brachiopod · unchanged · dawn · survivor · crocodile · missing link · dinosaur · fern
- Lost Worldjungle expedition, lost civilization, dinosaurs, ancient ruins, pterodactyl
- remnants of the pastrelics, ruins, vestiges, artifacts, remnants
- paleontologydinosaurs, paleontology, dinosaur bones, mammoth, dinosaur
- animal historydinosaurs, mammoths, extinction, prehistoric life, Jurassic period
- pseudosciencehomeopathy, astrology, phrenology, numerology, palmistry
- fossil arthropodstrilobite, trilobites, sea scorpions
living fossilsHIV
AIDS-causing retrovirus
influenza virus · Darwin's finches · bacteria · fruit flies · Drosophila
living fossilsextinct species
Organism with no survivors
dinosaurs · trilobites · dodo · ammonites · dodos
living, fossil, lives, livestock, liveliness, livelihood, outlive, fossils, livable