Main content
Discovering the coelacanth - 'I've never seen a fish like this'
In 1938, South African museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer discovered a coelacanth - a fish that was believed to have been extinct for 65 million years.鈦 鈦
It is thought to be our ancestor and the missing link between how fish evolved into four-legged amphibians.鈦 鈦
"I came onto this most beautiful fish and to my horror it had these limb-like fins," recalls Marjorie.鈦 鈦
She showed it to an expert, Prof JLB Smith, who confirmed it.鈦 鈦
"'Well lass,' he said. 'This fish will be on the lips of every scientist in the world. It's a coelacanth.'"鈦
(Picture: Coelacanth, Credit: Getty Images)
Duration:
This clip is from
More clips from Witness History
-
Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier—Breaking the sound barrier
Duration: 01:18