living fossil

Bedeutung (Englisch)

1. Any species discovered first as a fossil and believed extinct, but which is later found living; an organism that has remained unchanged over geological periods.
2. Any living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives in most anatomical details.

Konzepte

Dauerform

lebendes Fossil

Synonyme

relict

Übersetzungen

fossile vivant

levend fossiel

fósil viviente

Ausgesprochen als (IPA)

/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈfɒsl̩/

Etymologie (Englisch)

The term was coined by the English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) in his work On the Origin of Species (1859): see the quotation below.