New restoration of the skeleton of the 375-million-year-old fossil fish, Tiktaalik roseae. Credit: Thomas Stewart, Penn StateNew findings from a fossil fish dating back 375 million years supply insights into the evolution of the axial skeleton, potentially shedding light on how our forebears transitioned from aquatic to terrestrial life.Before the advancement of legs from fins, the axial skeleton– consisting of the bones of the head, neck, back, and ribs– was already going through changes that would eventually help our forefathers support their bodies to walk on land. A research study team including a Penn State biologist finished a brand-new restoration of the skeleton of Tiktaalik, the 375-million-year-old fossil fish that is one of the closest relatives to limbed vertebrates.The new restoration reveals that the fishs ribs most likely attached to its pelvis, an innovation believed to be vital to supporting the body and for the eventual development of walking.A paper describing the new reconstruction, which utilized microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) to scan the fossil and reveal vertebrae and ribs of the fish that were previously hidden beneath rock, appeared April 2 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”Understanding Vertebrate EvolutionUnlike most fish, which have vertebrae and ribs that are the same along the length of the trunk, the axial skeletons of limbed vertebrates reveal remarkable distinctions in the vertebrae and ribs from the head area to the tail area.”The brand-new restoration of the skeleton also sheds light on specializations for head mobility in Tiktaalik and brand-new information of the fishs pelvic fin anatomy.
Credit: Thomas Stewart, Penn StateNew findings from a fossil fish dating back 375 million years offer insights into the evolution of the axial skeleton, possibly shedding light on how our forefathers transitioned from marine to terrestrial life.Before the advancement of legs from fins, the axial skeleton– including the bones of the head, neck, back, and ribs– was currently going through changes that would ultimately help our ancestors support their bodies to walk on land. A research study team including a Penn State biologist completed a new reconstruction of the skeleton of Tiktaalik, the 375-million-year-old fossil fish that is one of the closest loved ones to limbed vertebrates.The new reconstruction reveals that the fishs ribs most likely attached to its pelvis, an innovation believed to be important to supporting the body and for the eventual development of walking.A paper explaining the new restoration, which used microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) to scan the fossil and reveal vertebrae and ribs of the fish that were formerly hidden below rock, appeared April 2 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”The new restoration of the skeleton likewise sheds light on expertises for head movement in Tiktaalik and new details of the fishs pelvic fin anatomy.