Has the missing link been discovered?!?!?!?!

Tagged:  •  

Scientists have found a fossil that may be the most historically significant find ever.  Tiktaalik roseae fossil is a missing link between fish and land animals © Ted Daeschler

The Tiktaalik roseae fossil is a missing link between fish and land animals

Illustration of Tiktaalik by Shawn Gould, © National Geographic Society

Illustration of Tiktaalik by Shawn Gould, © National Geographic Society

The new species has features of a fish (gills, fins) and features found only in land living animals (neck, wrist, elbow).  Scientists think this could be the missing link between sea creatures and land animals.  Tiktaalik roseae lived 375 million years ago and was found on Ellesmere Island in Arctic Canada.  This isn't the first species to be discovered with both fish and land animal features but there has been a gap of 20 million years between the last fish specimen showing early land-living features and the earliest known tetrapod, (four-limbed animal).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1747926,00.html?transitionalbaby

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2006/apr/news_7948.html

It seems that scientists are starting to close the gap on our evolutionary history one fossil at a time.  Now if we could just figure out where the universe came from...

fantasticle's picture
Member of the Progressive U Alumni Association

That's really cool.

Poison_Ivy's picture
Member of the Progressive U Alumni Association

I always like the Big Bang Theory......

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.