Rise of the Earliest Tetrapods: An Early Devonian Origin from Marine Environment
2011
The Early Evolution of Tetrapods from Marine Environments
Sample size: 17
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): George David, Alain Blieck
Primary Institution: Department of Biotechnology, St. Peter's Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Hypothesis
Did tetrapods evolve from marine environments during high oxygen levels in the Early Devonian?
Conclusion
Tetrapods evolved from marine environments during times of higher oxygen levels, occurring around 397–416 million years ago.
Supporting Evidence
- Tetrapods are believed to have originated in marine environments.
- Higher oxygen levels during the Early Devonian coincided with the emergence of tetrapods.
- The study used molecular data from 17 species to analyze evolutionary relationships.
Takeaway
A long time ago, some fish started to walk on land, and they did this when there was a lot of oxygen in the water.
Methodology
The study analyzed molecular data from 13 proteins across 17 species to understand tetrapod evolution.
Limitations
The study relies on molecular data which may not fully resolve phylogenetic relationships.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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