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The coelacanth: A living fossil of a fish - Erin Eastwood

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TEDEd Animation

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The coelacanth, a prehistoric fish that was mistakenly thought to have gone extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs, has managed to stick around our seas for 360 million years. Erin Eastwood details the surprising “back from the dead” discovery of the coelacanth and explains how this fish’s fins shed light on the evolutionary movement of vertebrates from water to land.

Where was a second species of coelacanth found decades after Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Erin Eastwood
  • Director James Price
  • Producer Andrea Sertz Jew, Zoe Dahlenburg
  • Composer Ross Batten
  • Sound Designer Cutting Edge
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Narrator Michelle Snow

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