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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Photo: Sharks Have Genes for Fingers and Toes


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The basic process for developing fingers and toes have existed in sharks for 500 million years, a new study says.

Researchers found evidence of the genes' activities in embryos of spotted catsharks (above).

The finding pushes back the known evolutionary leap from fins to limbs by millions of years.

Photograph by Sarah Kiewel/University of Florida