Lazarus taxon

Because of the imperfect nature of the fossil record some taxa can seem to disapear during a mass extinction which are not actaully dead. These groups may become so rare that no fossils of them are found, or they may have already been very rare and uncommon in the fossil record. Such taxa that seem to reapear nearly unchanged after an extinctino are called Lazarus taxa, after the biblical Lazarus who returned from the dead.