Question

im giving medals if you ansewer this today

why might scientists have thought the coelacanth was extinct? How did they know i had even existed?

Answer 1

What I heard was that they had fossil evidence of the coelecanth. But the big thing was it was part of the order sarcopterygii, (lobe-finned fish) an early branch in fish evolutionary history of which all other members are extinct. The fact that it is still around is remarkable since it should have been outcompeted for by more modern forms as others of its order have been. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth