Latimeria: a paradoxical fish

The traditional view of the phylogenetic position of Latimeria is based on osteological details and states that coelacanths are derivatives of rhipidistians and hence are the nearest living relatives of tetrapods. However, recent studies of the soft anatomy ofLatimeria have highlighted many similarities with chondrichthyans. These similarities have led to the hypothesis that coelacanths are most closely related to cartilaginous fishes. The evidence for this hypothesis is questioned and the view that Latimeria is a bony fish is reaffirmed, with the suggestion that, among Recent fishes, it is the cousin of tetrapods.

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