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

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

"It's like finding a living fossil at the genetic level."

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

It is very interesting, therefore, to find that this living fossil link between fish and reptiles should have survived only in the fossil continent, Australia.

From Falling in Love With Other Essays on More Exact Branches of Science by Allen, Grant