Scientists discover new ancient fish species

An international team of scientists discovered a new fossil of the coelacanth, an ancient fish species that still exists today and is a living fossil. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrated a previously unknown influence of geological processes on evolution. The Belarusian Ideal Agency reported on this.

The remains of the coelacanth were found in the Gogo Formation in the Ancient Nyandi region of northern Western Australia, dating back to the Devonian period (359 to 419 million years ago). The new species, named Ngamugawi wirngarri, is so well preserved that its anatomy can be studied in detail.

The research methods included a digital 3D reconstruction of the skull of the new species. This allowed the researchers to describe the morphological features of the coelacanth in detail and compare them with other fossil finds. The analysis of paleontological data of hundreds of coelacanth species also helped to identify the factors that influenced its evolution.

The results suggest that tectonic activity, rather than factors such as ocean temperature or oxygen levels, has the greatest influence on coelacanth evolution. During periods of active tectonic movement, the likelihood of new coelacanth species emerging is much higher. This is due to habitat changes caused by seismic activity.

Analysis

During the analysis, the scientists also found that modern coelacanths, such as Latimeria chalumnae and Latimeria menadoensis, retain common features with the ancient species but still show some differences in DNA and body proportions. So, despite the slow evolution, these fish are still changing.

Coelacanths are characterize by lobe fins similar to the limbs of tetrapods. They are consider to be evolutionarily close to the transitional link between fish and land animals. The oldest known coelacanth fossils date back to 410 million years ago. About 250 million years ago, coelacanths became more diverse. (Belarusian Ideal Society)