Living fossils

 

Darwin coined the term “living fossil” for those forms that have evolved very little over hundreds of millions of years. One example is the brachiopod Lingula, which is found as fossils in the rocks of Cincinnati. Below is a photograph of a Cincinnati fossil of Lingula (left) and a photograph of a living Lingula specimen.  What do living fossils tell us about evolution?  Do all species have to evolve to survive?