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Coelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii

Coelocanths, Lungfishes, And People

Coelacanths are valued mainly for research. Lungfishes are common in aquariums.

AMAZING DISCOVERY

The December 1938 find of a living coelacanth caused disbelief and created one of the greatest biological sensations of the twentieth century. Finding a living coelacanth, so similar to the fossil (FAH-suhl) specimens left in rocks more than seventy-five million years ago, was as inconceivable as meeting a living dinosaur. The living coelacanths are often celebrated as the most unusual case and important example of animal evolution.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceFish and Other Cold-Blooded VertebratesCoelacanths and Lungfishes: Sarcopterygii - Coelocanths, Lungfishes, And People, Coelacanth (latimeria Chalumnae): Species Accounts, South American Lungfish (lepidosiren Paradoxa): Species Accounts - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DI