FOSSIL FISH - Coelacanth

Coelacanth

What is the oldest fish on planet Earth?  The Coelacanth (pronounced SEEL-UH-CANTH) was thought to be extinct until 1938, when one was discovered off the south Coast of Africa.  A second discovery was made in 1998 off the coast of Indonesia--considered the most notable zoological discoveries of the 20th century.  

This fossil fish swam the seas while T-rex roamed the earth some 60+ million years ago.  Researchers consider it to have been around for about 400 million years.  They can grow to the size of a human and are nocturnal predators that  prefer to rest in a dark cave during the day.  The Coelacanth can live to be over 100 years old.

Over the years, this Senior Citizen of Sea has been depicted on postage stamps, bank notes and coins in at least 22 countries.

The Smithsonian's Division of Fishes includes the world's largest research collection of preserved fish specimens, including one adult Coelacanth from the Comoros Islands between Madagascar and mainland Africa.

One thing for sure, a study like this, wakes up a fresh way of looking at our existence.  When we talk about millions of years, one can't help but feel as insignificant as a comma in all the books residing in the Library of Congress.

Insignificance has freeing power.  The idea of being insignificant helps us realize that our choices don't matter as much as we might think.  Each of us is one of billions of people on a planet that's been around for billions of years, in a universe with possibly trillions of other galaxies besides our Milky Way.  

It's to our advantage to appreciate the insignificant details in everyday life.  There is so much beauty in the ordinary, and most of it goes unnoticed.  The trick is to shift our thinking  from what is missing in our life to what is here and near.  It's a manageable way for us to create our own contentment, one insignificant thing at a time.