Meanings
nounLazarus species (plural Lazarus species)
- A species that was thought to be extinct but has been rediscovered.
- A species that disappears from the fossil record only to reappear in much later deposits.
The term ‘Lazarus species’ was coined by the palaeontologist David Jablonski to describe a taxon that was thought to have gone extinct during a mass extinction event, but which is found to exist several million years later.
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 37
Origin
Referring to the Biblical story of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Lazarus species. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20species
MLA
“Lazarus species.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20species. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Lazarus species,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20species.
Source: Lazarus species on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.