Fossils of Africa's Earliest Known Coelacanth Discovered

Scientists have discovered the fossils of Africa's earliest known coelacanth. Over 30 complete specimens of the new species, Serenichthys kowiensis, were found in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

The fossils were discovered by paleontologist Dr. Robert Gess and described by Dr. Gess and Professor Michael Coates of the University of Chicago. The fossils come from black shales (petrified remains of mud) originally disturbed by road works at Waterloo Farm.

Dr. Gess says in a statement, "Remarkably, all of the delicate whole fish impressions represent juveniles. This suggests that Serenichthys was using a shallow, waterweed-filled embayment of the estuary as a nursery, as many fish do today. This earliest known record of a coelacanth nursery foreshadows a much younger counterpart, known from the 300 million year old Mazon Creek beds of Illinois in the United States."

Coelacanths are a unique species of bottom-dwelling fish. They are known as living fossils because of their resemblance to the ancient species. They were thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago until a live one was caught in 1938. Wired has some details about the two living species of coelacanth here.

The researchers say the coelacanths are believed to have arisen during the Devonian Period (419 million to 358 million years ago). Five species of reconstructable Devonian coelacanths have been described. The new species is the first Devonian coelacanth described from Africa, which was was part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana at the time.

A research paper on the new species can be found here in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Photo: Wits University

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