What is the difference between a living fossil and a lazarus taxon?

Answer 1

A lazarus taxon is an animal that was thought to be extinct at one point, but for a few months, years, or even centuries, the animal is found again.

One example is the Coelocanth. It was thought to become extinct millions of years ago, but one specimen in Asia (I think) was found in the 30s. It was later found in Madagascar. It is endangered. They reach up from 60 centimeters to 1 meter. They mainly eat fish, squid, octopuses and even small sharks. They are preyed on by seals, sea lions, large sharks and orcas.

Another one is the peccary. Believe it or not, this is a lazarus taxon, it was thought to be extinct in the pleistocene, but it was found again in the recent times. They are about one meter. They mainly eat vegetation, but they also eat rodents, lizards, snakes and even small birds. They are eaten by jaguars, bush dogs, coyotes and anacondas. The collared one is least concern, but the chaocoan one is endangered.

The Takhae. The takhae is a small bird from New Zealand. It was actually thought to be extinct quite recently, at the same time as the moa, at about 1500. But, it was found again in the 40s. They eat vegetation. But also eat insects and worms. They have no natural predator, but they are eaten by introduced species like stoats.

Answer 2

A Lazarus Taxon or (more commonly known as) A Living fossil is a species whose is believed to be extinct but is seen again after the year it "became extinct".

A widespread-known Living fossil is the coelocanth, a large fish that was believed to be extinct millions of years ago but one was found in the 30s in Africa or Indonesia.

Aardvarks, solendons, Chaocan peccary and the Laotian rock rat are also commonly known Living Fossil.

Looking for one is extremely difficult because many Lazarus Taxons mostly turn out to be critically endangered. One of the most easiest ones to find are Chaocan peccaries and Aardvarks because they are "Least concern".

Answer 3

A living fossil is an animal or plant that is living but all the other members of it's family are extinct (mainly from millions of years ago). An example is a coelacanth, a large fish that in which, nearly the whole of it's family is extinct but there is 2 surviving ones. Another example is the ginko.

A lazarus taxon is an animal or plant which is once declared extinct but is seen again at some point. 3 examples is the Chaocan peccary, Aardvark and Takhae.