living fossil

American  

noun

1. an organism that is a living example of an otherwise extinct group and that has remained virtually unchanged in structure and function over a long period of time, as the coelacanth and the horseshoe crab.

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living fossil British  

noun

1. an animal or plant, such as the coelacanth and ginkgo, belonging to a group most of whose members are extinct

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Etymology

Origin of living fossil

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The Nautilus, a shelled marine animal still living today, is often described as a "living fossil" because of its ancient lineage.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

A living fossil is a term for a species that was once known only from its fossil record and was later discovered in living form, apparently preserving the physical features from long-gone ancestors.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

The Ginkgo Biloba in Leiden, Netherlands, is a 240 year-old "living fossil" and the second oldest in Europe.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025

A living fossil had been found, and botanists were excited.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

The interest excited by this living fossil was almost enough to stifle the dread of the creature in the man.

From Astounding Stories of Super-Science July 1930 by Bates, Harry