Fossil Fish Found Alive: Discovering the Coelacanth

“Walk­er traces the sci­en­tif­ic detec­tive work that led to iden­ti­fi­ca­tion of this species, long thought to be extinct, then describes the sub­se­quent inves­ti­ga­tions of its phys­i­ol­o­gy, habits, and habi­tat. In words and pho­tos, she intro­duces the sci­en­tists and fish­er­men involved in the search as well as the rare spec­i­mens, which have not sur­vived in cap­tiv­i­ty and were so dif­fi­cult to pre­serve until mid-cen­tu­ry. The author men­tions the inter­na­tion­al pol­i­tics involved in the own­er­ship of the fish as well as mis­in­ter­pre­ta­tions of sci­en­tif­ic data. As the text moves through the 20th cen­tu­ry to recent dis­cov­er­ies in 2001, the pho­tos change from black-and-white shots to col­or pho­tos enhanced by mod­ern under­wa­ter tech­nol­o­gy. The author ends by cat­a­loging the ques­tions still to be answered. An out­stand­ing his­to­ry of sci­en­tif­ic inquiry, this title will appeal to future oceanog­ra­phers and excite them with the news that there is still impor­tant research to be done.” (School Library Jour­nal)

“Walk­er tells the sto­ry of the coela­canth, an ancient fish with a dis­tinc­tive tail, four stub­by bot­tom fins, and spines on its scales. Known from its fos­sil remains, this type of fish was thought to be extinct until a sci­en­tist dis­cov­ered one in a South African fish­er­man’s catch in 1938. The hunt was on, and since that time oth­er coela­canths have been found in a few oth­er parts of the world and observed in their habi­tats deep below the sur­face of the ocean. Walk­er writes well, mak­ing this rel­a­tive­ly unknown area of sci­ence his­to­ry an excit­ing sto­ry of explo­ration and dis­cov­ery. Excel­lent, full-col­or pho­tos illus­trate the text. A behind-the-scenes look at the sci­en­tists intent­ly engaged in the study of biol­o­gy.” (Book­list)