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Revolutionary Coelacanth Discovery Reshapes Understanding of Feeding

8/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers from Brazil's University of São Paulo and the Smithsonian Institution have made a groundbreaking discovery about coelacanth anatomy, revealing that many previously thought muscles are actually ligaments. This revelation changes our understanding of how coelacanths feed, relying on biting rather than suction, and sheds new light on vertebrate evolution and the biology of this ancient fish.

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Story summary

Researchers from Brazil's University of São Paulo and the Smithsonian Institution have made a groundbreaking discovery about coelacanth anatomy, revealing that many previously thought muscles are actually ligaments. This revelation changes our understanding of how coelacanths feed, relying on biting rather than suction, and sheds new light on vertebrate evolution and the biology of this ancient fish.