Treasures of the American Museum of Natural History

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Transcription: Treasure 17, Coelacanth. This extraordinary creature first appeared 360 million years ago, long before dinosaurs walked the earth. Until recently, they were thought to have become extinct around 70 million years ago. Then in December 1938, fishermen trawling off the eastern coast of South Africa caught one, which was promptly dubbed a living fossil. For years afterward, scientists combed nearby waters. They finally got lucky off the Comoro Islands, north of Madagascar, where more than 200 specimens have since been caught. Though they now live far below the ocean surface, coelacanths actually a ...