December 22, 2012

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December 22, 1938: "Old Four Legs"

By David Bressan

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

One of the most astounding scientific discoveries of the 20th century was initiated by a simple phone call, early in the morning of December 22, 1938. "Miss Latimer, we got here one and a half ton of fish, maybe you are interested?"

Marjorie Courtaney-Latimer, curator of the little museum of East London (South Africa), went to the harbour as many times before, to inspect the catch of the local fishermen for new specimens for the museum. At a first glimpse nothing special, but then "There was the most marvellous fish I have ever seen. Dark blue, metallic, with white spots and a strange iridescence. It was 1,5 meter long." "A strange fish, Miss, for over thirty years I'm fishing in this region, but such one I have never seen."

Fig.1. A newspaper article announcing the capture of the second specimen of coelacanth (this time in the coastal waters of the Comoros-islands), fourteen years after the first discovery.

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Latimer regarded the fish as something special, maybe related to the lungfish (a freshwater fish). Consulting some books see recognized similarities to the reconstruction of fossil fish species, thought to be extinct at least since the demise of the dinosaurs, some 65 million years ago. Latimer contacted the only available expert in South Africa - James L.B. Smith of the Rhodes University in Grahamstown. From a drawing send to him by Latimer also Smith identified the captured fish as member of the "fossil" order Coelacanthiformes, or Coelacanths. Smith will describe the new living species, nicknamed "Old Four Legs", as Latimeria chalumnae, in honour of Courtenary-Latimer and after the estuary of the river Chalumna, where the animal was captured.

Fig.2. The fossil coelacanth species Macropoma speclosum (REUSS), from the Cretaceous of Kochovice, Czech Republic.

Bibliography:

THOMSON, K.S. (1993): Der Quastenflosser - Ein lebendes Fossil und seine Entdeckung. Birkhäuser-Verlag: 250

My name is David Bressan and I'm a freelance geologist working mainly in the Austroalpine crystalline rocks and the South Alpine Palaeozoic and Mesozoic cover-sediments in the Eastern Alps. I graduated with a project on Rock Glaciers dynamics and hydrology, this phase left a special interest for quaternary deposits and modern glacial environments. During my research on glaciers, studying old maps, photography and reports on the former extent of these features, I became interested in history, especially the development of geomorphologic and geological concepts by naturalists and geologists. Living in one of the key area for the history of geology, I combine field trips with the historic research done in these regions, accompanied by historic maps and depictions. I discuss broadly also general geological concepts, especially in glaciology, seismology, volcanology, palaeontology and the relationship of society and geology.

More by David Bressan

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