Question

Are coelacanths related to any other living species?

Answer 1

Coelacanths are an ancient group of fish that were thought to have gone extinct around 66 million years ago. However, in 1938, a living coelacanth was discovered off the coast of South Africa. DNA analysis has since shown that coelacanths are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) than to any other fish species.

Answer 2

Coelacanths are not closely related to any other living species of fish. Instead, they are part of a group of ancient fish called lobe-finned fish, which also includes lungfish. Lobe-finned fish are thought to be the ancestors of the first land-dwelling vertebrates, including tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals).

Answer 3

The anatomy of coelacanths is similar to that of tetrapods. Their DNA analysis from tissue samples has also enabled us to determine their relation in ancestry to lunfish. 

Answer 4

Coelacanths are related to fish. A living coelacanth was discovered off the coast of South Africa. DNA analysis has since shown that coelacanths are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) than to any other fish species.

Answer 5

Coelacanths are indeed related to other living species, albeit distantly. They belong to a group of fish called Sarcopterygii, which are also known as lobe-finned fish. This group is significant in the evolutionary history of vertebrates because it includes the ancestors of tetrapods, which are four-limbed vertebrates. Tetrapods gave rise to all land-dwelling vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

So, while coelacanths are not closely related to any living species, they share a common ancestor with the lineage that eventually led to tetrapods. This deep evolutionary connection makes coelacanths important from a biological and evolutionary perspective.