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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Ancient Fish Fossil May Rewrite Story of Animal Evolution


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An almost intact fossil of the ancient fish Gogonasus may rewrite the story of how four-limbed animals, known as tetrapods, first colonized land.

The 380-million-year-old specimen has surprisingly advanced features, including fins and nostrils remarkably similar to the limbs and ears of the first land tetrapods, scientists say.

Photograph courtesy John Broomfield, Museum Victoria/Nature