2014 - Prehistoric Creatures: Tiktaalik - 25-Cent Coloured Glow-in-the-Dark Coin

In 2004, researchers working in Nunavut uncovered the fossilized remains of a mysterious prehistoric creature to bridge the evolutionary gap between water and land.

Tiktaalik lived roughly 375 million years ago. It had the gills, scales and fins of a fish, but the head of an amphibian: flat with both eyes on top, and spiracles that suggest the presence of rudimentary lungs.

What's more, Tiktaalik had extra-thick ribs, another adaptation for animals that don't float in water and need extra support against gravity while on land. It also had wrist and finger-like bone structures inside its fins—precursors to actual limbs.

Experts believe Tiktaalik used these limb-fins to push itself out of the shallow, fast-flowing water where it lived and crossed short distances on land. It's a captivating, puzzle-packed creature that will fuel the imagination of dino-detectives young and old alike!

Specifications

Mintage 30000
Composition cupronickel
Finish specimen
Weight (g) 0.5
Diameter (mm)35
Edge plain
Certificate serialized
Face value 25 cents
Artist Julius T. Csotonyi (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)