Development and Evolution of the Muscles of the Pelvic Fin
2011

How Fish Muscles Evolved for Life on Land

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Peter Currie, Nicolas Cole, Vance Erik

Primary Institution: Monash University

Hypothesis

How did the muscles in fish evolve to support their transition from water to land?

Conclusion

The study reveals that the muscle development in fish shows early adaptations that facilitated their movement onto land.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study tracked muscle growth in zebrafish to understand early muscle adaptations.
  • Researchers collected embryos from various fish species to compare muscle development.
  • The findings suggest that muscle development for land locomotion began in ancient fish.

Takeaway

Scientists studied how fish muscles changed to help them walk on land, showing that these changes started long ago.

Methodology

The researchers used a novel technique involving muscle tissue transplantation between genetically modified zebrafish embryos.

Limitations

The study's findings are based on a limited number of fish species and may not represent all fish.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pbio.1001168

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