living fossil
The term "living fossil" refers to species that have remained largely unchanged over millions of years and closely resemble their ancient ancestors known from fossils.
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Definition
C1Evolutionary Theory
(scientific)A species that has survived from ancient times with little to no evolutionary change, closely resembling its fossil ancestors.
Example
- The coelacanth is often cited as a living fossil due to its striking similarity to its ancient relatives.
- Horseshoe crabs are considered living fossils because they have changed very little over hundreds of millions of years.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "living fossil":