A single telephone call on 22 December 1938 led Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer to identify a specimen that challenged existing biological timelines. While examining the bycatch from Captain Hendrik Goosen’s trawler, the Nerine, she discovered a fish possessing limb-like fins and a puppy dog tail, which proved to be a coelacanth, a creature previously believed extinct for 65 million years.
Early Life and Training
Born in 1907 in East London, South Africa, Marjorie Eileen Doris Courtenay-Latimer grew up as the daughter of a South African Railways stationmaster. Her childhood was marked by poor health, including a severe case of diphtheria. Despite these physical setbacks, she developed an early interest in natural history, specifically bird life. Although she began nursing training in King William's Town, she pivoted to a career at the East London Museum.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Career at the East London Museum
In August 1931, at the age of 24, Courtenay-Latimer accepted a position at the East London Museum. Her expertise in South African natural history secured the role despite her lack of formal museum training. She spent her entire professional life associated with the institution, acting as a curator and collector of zoological and botanical specimens. Her work frequently involved cataloguing diverse items such as rocks, shells, and feathers.
The Discovery of Latimeria chalumnae
Upon locating the strange fish in the catch of the Nerine, Courtenay-Latimer attempted to identify the species using museum literature without success. Lacking storage facilities, she moved the specimen between a mortuary and a cold storage unit before enlisting the help of taxidermist Robert Center. Because ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith was away, the specimen began to decay in the summer heat, necessitating that Center skin and gut it.
Legacy and Academic Recognition
Beyond her identification of the coelacanth, Courtenay-Latimer contributed to biological research through various publications, including an 1963 article on Gray's Beaked Whale and an 1989 diary account of her discovery. Her scientific contributions were recognized with an honorary doctorate from Rhodes University. She retired to a farm at Tsitsikamma before returning to East London, where she died in 2004 at the age of 97.
Fast facts
- Born: 1907, East London, South Africa
- Died: 2004, East London, South Africa
- Employer: East London Museum
- Key Discovery: Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)
- Scientific Recognition: Honorary doctor of Rhodes University
- Field of Study: Natural history, biology
Questions readers ask
How did Courtenay-Latimer identify the coelacanth?
She recognized that the fish was unusual and consulted taxidermist Robert Center to preserve it, subsequently sending it to ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith for formal classification.
Did she have formal training in biology?
No, she trained to be a nurse but was hired by the East London Museum based on her extensive naturalistic knowledge of South African species.
Achievements
- Held posts at East London Museum
- Fields of research: natural history
