Prehistoric fish refer to ancient fish species that are exclusively documented by fossil remains. These organisms are the most ancient vertebrates, encompassing the initial and now extinct fish species that thrived from the Cambrian to the Quaternary period. Paleoichthyology is the scientific discipline that focuses on the examination and analysis of ancient fish species. Some living organisms, like the coelacanth, are commonly known as prehistoric fish or living fossils because of their current scarcity and resemblance to extinct species. Prehistoric fish typically do not encompass fish species that have recently gone extinct. They exhibited significant dissimilarities compared to our contemporary counterparts. It is probable that they were bigger in size and possessed more resilient scales.

свернуть