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These animals were among the first to come ashore. Then they returned to the water.
How do animals evolve? Recent studies remind us that this journey of species is not like climbing a ladder in one direction.
Live on land or, however, in water? Most species don’t have this choice and from birth spend most of their time in a similar environment. However, evolution likes to surprise. Fossil studies have shown that about 365 million years ago, a group of fish abandoned the waters and moved to land, after which some of the creatures turned back.
Early quadrupeds from water to land and back again
We are talking about early quadrupeds, which today include thousands of species of amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Interestingly, their descendants are also humans. What is most fascinating, however, is that just before their final move to land, these animals turned around and stayed in the water. At least some of them.
Such behavior is indicated by an analysis of fossils found in 2004 in the Canadian Arctic. Fragments of jaws about 5 cm long and patches of white scales with a rough texture were visible on the surface of the rock. The researchers concluded that these were the remains of an early quadruped. To find out more, they looked inside the rock using CT scanning technology. That’s…
