"The paper outlines a method where living fossils are identified not by their total ancestral features but by the uniqueness or rarity of these features among other living species that descended from the same ancestor."

“It’s the species with the rare ancestral features that jump out and get labelled as living fossils according to our method,” he said.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/253654/living-fossils-unique-ancient-imperial-researchers/#:~:text=However%2C%20many%20scientists%20dislike%20the,today%2C%E2%80%9D%20Professor%20Rosindell%20said.

#evolution #LivingFossil

‘Living fossils’ are unique, not ancient, say Imperial researchers

A new way to measure biodiversity based on species’ unique traits shows ‘living fossil’ species do evolve.

Imperial College London