17 April 2013 Last updated at 13:54 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service <\/p>\n
The genetic secrets of a \"living fossil\" have been revealed by scientists. <\/p>\n
Researchers sequenced the genome of the coelacanth: a deep-sea fish that closely resembles its ancestors, which lived at least 300 million years ago. <\/p>\n
The study found that some of the animal's genes evolved very slowly, giving it its primitive appearance. <\/p>\n
The work also shed light on how the fish was related to the first land-based animals. <\/p>\n
The coelacanth has four large, fleshy fins, which some scientists believe could have been the predecessors of limbs. <\/p>\n
It had been suggested that this fish was closely related to early tetrapods - the first creatures to drag themselves out of the ocean, giving rise to life on land. <\/p>\n
But the study, published in the journal Nature, suggested that another fish called the lungfish, which also has four limbs, had more genes in common with land-based animals. <\/p>\n
Slow to change <\/p>\n
The coelacanth can reach up to 2m-long and is found lurking in caves deep beneath the waves. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
See more here: 17 April 2013 Last updated at 13:54 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service The genetic secrets of a \"living fossil\" have been revealed by scientists. Researchers sequenced the genome of the coelacanth: a deep-sea fish that closely resembles its ancestors, which lived at least 300 million years ago. Continue reading
\nGenome of 'living fossil' sequenced<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"