The DOI matches its Crossref record; 37 of the 37 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan
Abstract
The relationship of limbed vertebrates (tetrapods) to lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygians) is well established, but the origin of major tetrapod features has remained obscure for lack of fossils that document the sequence of evolutionary changes. Here we report the discovery of a well-preserved species of fossil sarcopterygian fish from the Late Devonian of Arctic Canada that represents an intermediate between fish with fins and tetrapods with limbs, and provides unique insights into how and in what order important tetrapod characters arose. Although the body scales, fin rays, lower jaw and palate are comparable to those in more primitive sarcopterygians, the new species also has a shortened skull roof, a modified ear region, a mobile neck, a functional wrist joint, and other features that presage tetrapod conditions. The morphological features and geological setting of this new animal are suggestive of life in shallow-water, marginal and subaerial habitats.
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“The first land invasion of our fish ancestors is considered to have occurred during the late Devonian period ~370 million years ago (Mya) (Daeschler et al., 2006).”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Daeschler et al., 2006
In the citing paper
“Geological and anatomical evidence is strongly indicative that Tiktaalik was an animal interacting with the substrate in an aquatic context (12, 42, 43).”
From Fin ray patterns at the fin-to-limb transition (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
The pectoral fin of Tiktaalik roseae and the origin of the tetrapod limb
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Metadata
- Authors
- Daeschler, E. B., Shubin, N. H., & Jenkins, F. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Daeschler, Edward B.
- Shubin, Neil H.
- ORCID
- Shubin, Neil H.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2006-04
- Volume
- 440
- Issue
- 7085
- Pages
- 757-763
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2094370487
- Cited by
- 442
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 21.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Geographic Society
- Harvard University
- University of Chicago
- Government of Nunavut
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Keywords
- sarcopterygians, lobe-finned fishes, tetrapod origin, transitional fossils, wrist, skull roof, ear region, Late Devonian, Canadian Arctic
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Environment, Biological Evolution, Extremities, Fishes, Fossils, Morphogenesis, Phylogeny, Skull, Water, History, Ancient
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