A New Coelacanth Species Was Hiding in a Museum for 150 Years — and It Fills a 50-Million-Year Gap

A dusty fossil hidden in a museum drawer for more than a century has transformed what scientists know about one of Earth’s most mysterious fish.

In a new study published in Paleontology articlesResearchers have identified a new species of coelacanth from a 150-year-old specimen. The discovery fills a huge gap in the evolutionary record and reveals that these so-called “living fossils” have a more complex history than once believed.

“Coelacanths are known as ‘living fossils,’ having changed relatively little over hundreds of millions of years. However, key steps in their evolutionary history have remained elusive – until now,” David Martill, of the University of Portsmouth, said in a press release.

A new species of coelacanth hidden in plain sight

The newly identified species, named Macropoma gombessaerepresents the oldest known member of its genus and a key missing link in evolution. Coelacanths are famous for their ancient lineage, but this apparent stability has also left major gaps in their evolutionary history. This new species helps fill one of the most puzzling gaps, providing insight into how modern coelacanths came to be.

“It’s incredibly exciting that such an important specimen has been hiding in plain sight for over a century,” said Jack L. Norton, who discovered the fossil. “Only now that we have the technology to examine these fossils in great detail at the Natural History Museum do we understand their importance.”

The name of the species gombessae pays homage to “Gombessa”, a traditional name used by Malagasy communities and fishermen in the Comoros to refer to living coelacanths. The term means “inedible fish” or “worthless fish” – a reminder of how little value was once placed on a creature now considered a scientific treasure.

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How modern technology helped reveal new species

The fossil itself comes from the Lower Cretaceous Gault Formation in southern England, a site known for preserving marine life around 100 million years ago. Yet its true importance remained hidden until recently.

The researchers used advanced imaging techniques, including X-ray computed tomography, to peer inside the fossil without damaging it. This allowed them to reconstruct its internal anatomy in unprecedented detail.

“Handling a specimen of such importance and antiquity in 3D was truly fantastic,” Norton said.

This type of non-destructive imaging is rapidly evolving paleontology, allowing scientists to revisit historical specimens and discover details that previous generations simply could not access. As a result, museum collections become dynamic centers of research.

“Specimens collected generations ago can still transform our understanding of evolution when studied using modern techniques,” Martill explained.

The long and strange history of the coelacanth

Coelacanths have long captivated scientists because of their seemingly impossible survival story. They were once thought to have gone extinct alongside dinosaurs, but they stunned the world when a living specimen was discovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938.

Since then, they have become icons of evolutionary persistence because they appear to have resisted major changes for millions of years. But with the discovery of this new species, it appears that coelacanths have undergone more subtle and complex changes than previously thought.

“This shows the scientific value of museum collections and why it is important to continue to hold specimens in trust for society while continuing their research,” concluded Emma Bernard, curator of fossil fish at the Natural History Museum. “Who knows what else technology will reveal about these specimens in the years to come!” »

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