living fossil

English - English

Definition of living fossil in English English dictionary

Any species discovered first as a fossil and believed extinct, but which is later found living

The coelacanth and the dawn redwood are living fossils.

Any living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives in most anatomical details

Crocodiles are living fossils that haven't changed their appearance much in millions of years.

living organism of which the most closely related organisms have been extinct and exist only in fossil form

An organism, such as a coelacanth or the ginkgo, that is the sole surviving member of an otherwise extinct taxonomic group. an ancient animal or plant that still exists and has not changed

Related Terms

living fossils

plural form of living fossil

Hyphenation

li·ving fos·sil

Turkish pronunciation

lîvîng fäsıl

Pronunciation

/ˈləvəɴɢ ˈfäsəl/ /ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈfɑːsəl/