Latimeria chalumnae was announced in Nature in 1939, formally recognizing Courtenay-Latimer's coelacanth discovery.
On March 18, 1939, J.L.B. Smith, an ichthyologist, formally announced the coelacanth as a living fossil in a letter to the journal Nature. He named it Latimeria chalumnae, honoring Courtenay-Latimer for her role in its discovery, and underscoring its exhaustive historical significance in evolutionary biology.
This naming brought Marjorie enduring international recognition, elevating her work to a cornerstone of modern ichthyological research.