living fossil

Signification (Anglais)

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.

Concepts

fossile vivant

Synonymes

relict

Traductions

Dauerform

lebendes Fossil

levend fossiel

fósil viviente

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈfɒsl̩/

Étymologie (Anglais)

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.