Stem sarcopterygians have primitive polybasal fin articulation
Open accessAbstract
Among osteichthyans, basal actinopterygian fishes (e.g. paddlefish and bowfins) have paired fins with three endoskeletal components (pro-, meso- and metapterygia) articulating with polybasal shoulder girdles, while sarcopterygian fishes (lungfish, coelacanths and relatives) have paired fins with one endoskeletal component (metapterygium) articulating with monobasal shoulder girdles. In the fin-limb transition, the origin of the sarcopterygian paired fins triggered new possibilities of fin articulation and movement, and established the proximal segments (stylopod and zeugopod) of the presumptive tetrapod limb. Several authors have stated that the monobasal paired fins in sarcopterygians evolved from a primitive polybasal condition. However, the fossil record has been silent on whether and when the inferred transition took place. Here we describe three-dimensionally preserved shoulder girdles of two stem sarcopterygians (Psarolepis and Achoania) from the Lower Devonian of Yunnan, which demonstrate that stem sarcopterygians have polybasal pectoral fin articulation as in basal actinopterygians. This finding provides a phylogenetic and temporal constraint for studying the origin of the stylopod, which must have originated within the stem sarcopterygian lineage through the loss of the propterygium and mesopterygium.
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The presence of shoulder girdles on the articular surface of the endoskeleton in Late Lochkovian Psarolepis indicates that stem sarcopterygians already possessed an endoskeletal fin pattern similar to that of tetrapod stylopods.
“For instance, the presence of shoulder girdles on the articular surface of the endoskeleton in Late Lochkovian Psarolepis indicates that stem sarcopterygians already possessed an endoskeletal fin pattern similar to that of tetrapod stylopods (Zhu & Yu, 2009).”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Zhu & Yu, 2009
The Material and methods section identifies the Psarolepis shoulder girdles as Late Lochkovian, but the Results report articular facets for three fin components, not a tetrapod-like stylopod pattern. The Discussion states that the monobasal fin arose later, crownward to Psarolepis and Achoania. (LLM, conf=0.89)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe appendicular skeleton of tetrapods retains the same metapterygium as found in basal ray-finned fish, which formed present-day limbs through the progressive acquisition of bone elements.
“The appendicular skeleton of tetrapods retains the same metapterygium as found in basal ray-finned fish, which formed present-day limbs through the progressive acquisition of bone elements (Zhu & Yu, 2009).”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Zhu & Yu, 2009
The Abstract and Discussion support the shared metapterygium in basal ray-finned fishes and the lineage leading to tetrapods. But the Discussion (p. unavailable) describes the origin of the tetrapod limb’s proximal segment through loss of the propterygium and mesopterygium, contrary to the claimed progressive acquisition of bone elements. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHomologous analyses suggest that some morphologies related to vertebrate land dispersal were already present in early bony fish species.
“However, homologous analyses of these body forms and structures in more ancient species have suggested that some of the morphologies related to vertebrate land dispersal were already present in early bony fish species.”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Zhu & Yu, 2009
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- Authors
- Zhu, M., & Yu, X.
- Affiliations
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Kean University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zhu, Min
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biology Letters
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2009-03-04
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 372-375
- ISSN
- 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-957X
- PMC
- PMC2679918
- OpenAlex
- W2096998289
- Cited by
- 42
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Biology Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 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
- shoulder girdle, pectoral fin, Lower Devonian, propterygium, metapterygium, tetrapod limb evolution, osteichthyans
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Extremities, Fishes, Fossils, Phylogeny
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