In Depth Greererpeton did not follow the other tetrapods onto land, instead it remained as an aquatic predator. Support for this style of life comes from poorly developed hearing, evidence of a lateral line (sensory apparatus found in fish), reduced limbs and an extended spine giving it a more eel like appearance. This suggests that … Read more
In Depth Ichthyostega is considered to be one of the important transitional links between marine and fully terrestrial vertebrates. With lungs that were surrounded by a rib cage that was composed of overlapping ribs, Ichthyostega was able to spend time upon the land without suffocating under its own weight. The spine was also stronger with … Read more
In Depth Proterogyrinus seems to have been adapted for locomotion on both land and in the water. The tail, being broad and flattened would have provided efficient power in the water, while the limbs are developed for terrestrial movement. In particular, the increased number of toe bones would have given Proterogyrinus greater dexterity on land … Read more
In Depth Solenodonsaurus is named after having teeth that are the same type, sharp and slightly curved, suitable for catching insects. The ear structure is simple and probably could only pick up lower pitch sounds. While it has been placed in Reptilomorpha under labyrinthodonts, it does not have the characteristic labyrinthodont teeth. The spine however … Read more
In Depth Fedexia was discovered in 2004 by Adam Striegal, a university student at the time. It acquired its name because the land it was discovered on was owned by the FedEx Corporation. When first examined, Fedexia was mistaken for a fern because of the arrangement of teeth. Study by Charles Jones, the class lecturer, … Read more
In Depth Analysis of Obruchevichthys remains has struck up similarities with a tetrapod named Elginerpeton. This has revealed that Obruchevichthys was also a member of the early tetrapods, not a lobe finned fish as first thought. Along with Elginerpeton, Obruchevichthys predated the other tetrapods by an estimated 5-8 million years. Further Reading – Morphology and … Read more
In Depth Analysis of Elginerpeton allowed for identification of Obruchevichthys, and together they represent an earlier group of tetrapods that pre-dated later species by several million years. Further Reading – Elginerpeton pancheni and the earliest tetrapod clade. – Nature 373 (6513): 420–425. – Per E. Ahlberg – 1995.