Posted on 06/26/2008 8:24:22 AM PDT by Fractal Trader
Scientists unearthed a skull of the most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history, which should help them better understand the evolution of fish to advanced animals that walk on land.
The 365 million-year-old fossil skull, shoulders, and part of the pelvis of the water-dweller, Ventastega curonica, were found in Latvia, researchers report in a study published in today's issue of the journal Nature.
Even though Ventastega is probably an evolutionary dead-end, the finding sheds new details on the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapods.
Tetrapods are animals with four limbs and include such descendants as amphibians, birds, and mammals.
While an earlier discovery found a slightly older animal that was more fish than tetrapod, Ventastega is more tetrapod than fish.
The fierce-looking creature probably swam through shallow, brackish waters, measured about 3 or 4 feet long, and ate other fish. Scientists believe it had stubby limbs with an unknown number of digits.
"If you saw it from a distance, it would look like a small alligator, but if you look closer you would find a fin in the back," said lead author Per Ahlberg, a professor of evolutionary biology at Uppsala University in Sweden. "I imagine this is an animal that could haul itself over sand banks without any difficulty. Maybe it's poking around in semi-tidal creeks picking up fish that got stranded."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
GGG
This is good news!!
I have been doing some more work on our family’s ancestry, and have some gaps I haven’t been able to connect.
‘Looks like I can now pencil in old uncle Tetrapod.
‘You think he was Scots or Irish??
Is that the missing link?
that’s not it, that is mega-pukilis dihmnocratus, from the pre-cambrian
It amazes me that people point to a lack of of fossils as PROOF of something. They have no clue how rare it is for something to be fossilized. And how NON static the earth actually is.
They point to the fact that we can find fossilized ferns all over the place, so therefor fossils are common. They don’t realize that ferns were THE plant for millions of years and permeated nearly all land masses. So sheer %’s say there will be a lot of fossilized ferns.
I lost count of the times I’ve heard “Look at all the fossilized ferns, fossilization is common, this there are no missing links” argument.
Speaking of a force for extinction... ;’)
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Thanks Fractal Trader. |
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On all fours? Drunk and Irish...
*shudder*
I’m glad YOU posted that. It means I don’t have to!
;o]
AND, (no doubt) no chocolate....
;o]
Ventastega approaches land...LoL! Paeleos.com.
A Viking lizard?
"...Our own hypothetical ancestors in the Devonian seem to have evolved a comparable technology. Did they do so for comparable reasons? That is, did they live in an environment in which littoral prey was plentiful and easily consumed, if the predator were quick and didn't overstay its welcome?..."
A little tongue in cheek - Viking and Ventastega environmental adaption!
;’)
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