American researchers have taken an important step in the study of the evolution of the transition from aquatic to terrestrial animals by reconstructing the axial skeleton of Tiktaalik in detail. This fossil creature is considered a key chain in the development of vertebrates because it shows transitional features between fish and tetrapods.

New data obtained through computerized microtomography showed that Tiktaalik had unique mobility that was intermediate between early fish and four-legged land animals.

Skeletal features such as a mobile head, the absence of some vertebrae in the neck, and the special arrangement of the pelvic fins suggest that Tiktaalik could use its limbs not only for swimming, but also for locomotion in shallow waters and even locomotion. Overland. The results are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

These discoveries help better understand how animals evolve and adapt to life on land, and highlight tiktaalik’s importance as a fossil witness to key moments in the history of life on Earth. Source