The exceptional quality of the fossil suggests that a great deal of new information about how Earth’s tectonic activity has influenced the evolution of this ‘living fossil’ can be learned.
A Glimpse into the Past
The new fossil coelacanth species, called Ngamugawi wirngarri, offers an unrivalled snapshot of early anatomy and evolution in this fish. Coelacanths are popularly known as ‘living fossils’ because they have a history that goes back over 410 million years, which ranks among the most ancient of all known vertebrate lineages.
Found in the Gogo Formation on Gooniyandi Country in northern Western Australia, the Ngamugawi fossil is a coelacanth fish with rare exceptionally well-preserved features that have allowed for researchers to study the fine details of its anatomy and reveal one method by which these enigmatic creatures adapted to their environment over time. The fossil, which is the most well-preserved coelacanth from the Devonian—a key time in the evolutionary history of these fish—was discovered and named by Wiley recently, although just now scientifically described.
Coelacanth Rising — A Tectonic Discriminant
The analysis of the broader fossil record of coelacanths and the study of the Ngamugawi fossil have found that surprisingly, Earth’s tectonic plates were the most important driver spurring changes in coelacanth evolution—more influential even than ocean temperature and oxygen levels.
These upheavals, which disrupt habitats and forge new ecosystems, were associated with the arrival of coelacanth lineages. Taken together, the findings of this study imply that the way in which Earth’s crust behaves in movement and in turn, how this crust changes environments has been an important driver of evolutionary change among ancient fish.
These results contradict the classical view where exogeneous ecological factors such as climate, changes in the occupation of shallow marine habitats and/or oceanographic conditions are thought to have been more important for shaping coelacanth evolution. Rather, it really speaks to the amazing power of the accumulating geologic processes that drive our planet at every level affecting and indeed proliferating life throughout eons.
Conclusion
The fossil Ngamugawi has been one of the most important discoveries in helping scientists to learn how our planet’s geological processes have driven evolution of life. This work has angled a uniquely pure view into the past of these ‘living fossils’; while illuminating just how deeply interlinked our dynamic Earth and its inhabitants truly are. As we investigate the patterns that existed in our history, they offer what may approach a scope of totality concerning how the planet’s geology and biology have interplayed with each other. This helps us understand life on Earth.
