Coelacanth, The: A Living Fossil

Synopsis

This is an archive copy of a live presentation and webcast by museum palaeontologist Peter Forey. In 1938, a strange fish was caught in the Indian Ocean. It was recognised as a living example of a family of fishes thought to have died out in the clear Chalk Seas, which covered southern England 80 million years ago. To many, it is the missing link between fishes and land-dwelling vertebrates such as humans. Peter Forey describes how the coelacanth lives in caves, stands on its head, gives birth to live young and sparks friction between international scientists.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2004

Availability

Out of distribution

Subjects

Biology

Keywords

coelacanth; fish; palaeobiology; palaeontology

Online availability

URI

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/darwincentre/live/presentations/presentation_051003PeterForey.html

Delivery

Streamed

Distributor

Name

Natural History Museum, Darwin Centre

Web

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/darwincentre/live/archive.html External site opens in new window

Notes

Online archive. Videos are now part of the NHM Nature Online site http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/index.html