relicts

A relict (plural relicts) is a surviving member of a lineage, population, or ecosystem that was once more widespread but has declined or disappeared elsewhere, leaving a small, geographically restricted remnant. The term is used most often in biology and biogeography to describe species, populations, or communities that persist while their relatives have vanished from most of their former range.

In biology, relict species or populations represent lineages that were once common or diverse but are now confined to limited habitats. They may retain ancient genetic or morphological traits and are frequently associated with geographic isolation, stable environments, or climatic refugia. The concept is closely related to the idea of living fossils, though some researchers caution that “relict” emphasizes historical distribution rather than a simple morphological resemblance.

Examples commonly cited as relicts include the coelacanth, Latimeria, a lineage of lobe-finned fishes once widespread in ancient seas; the tuatara, a reptile from New Zealand; the ginkgo tree, a gymnosperm with a fossil record stretching back hundreds of millions of years; and the Wollemi pine, a conifer representing a previously widespread group. Many relicts are found in isolated or specialized habitats, such as islands, highlands, or caves, and often face heightened threats from habitat loss and climate change.

The term is sometimes debated among scientists, since “relict” describes distributional pattern rather than a fixed taxonomic status. Nonetheless, relicts remain important for understanding evolutionary history, biogeography, and conservation biology.