Coelocanth Rediscovery

Coelacanth is a type of fish related to other extinct fish that like the osteolepiforms and are thought to have gone extinct in the Late Cretaceous, it was later discovered in 1938 in the coast south of Africa. The only living coelacanth species is the Latimeria chulmnae and the latimeria menadoensis, it has since been renamed as the living fossil because they were first discovered as dead fossils before they were actually discovered in form of living specimen.

The unique thing with the coelacanth is that they have some features that aren't possessed by any other creature, for instance its body has Cosmoid scales that act like the armour protecting its exterior. It also has an intracranial joint that allows it to open its mouth extremely wide than the common fish and has a hollow backbone. This features gives the scientist and researchers the anxiety to research more on its body structure.

Another outstanding feature of the coelacanth fish is that it creates a link between the fish and the amphibians this is why it has such an importance to biotechnology. Hence scientists use its genes to measure the genetic differences of the coelacanth DNA. This is because coelacanth possibly survives in more adverse conditions and can encounter new diseases.