生物谷報(bào)道：瑞士,，英國及拉脫維亞科學(xué)家近日發(fā)現(xiàn)了最原始的四足動(dòng)物孔螈的頭骨,，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)將有助于科學(xué)家更好地了解魚到陸地爬行動(dòng)物的進(jìn)化過程,。
據(jù)悉,，這具有3億5千年歷史的頭骨化石是在拉脫維亞發(fā)現(xiàn)的,，科學(xué)家將這一報(bào)告刊登在了6月26日發(fā)行的《自然》（Nature）雜志上,。
科學(xué)家推測說,，這一長相兇猛的動(dòng)物可能生活在淺水含鹽較高水域,，長3到4英尺，捕食魚類,。（生物谷www.bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Nature,，453, 1199-1204，Per E. Ahlberg,，Ivars Zupi
Ventastega curonica and the origin of tetrapod morphology
Per E. Ahlberg1, Jennifer A. Clack2, Ervns Lukevis3, Henning Blom1 & Ivars Zupi4
Subdepartment of Evolutionary Organismal Biology, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
Department of Geology, University of Latvia, Rainis Blvd 19, Riga LV-1586, Latvia
Natural History Museum of Latvia, K. Barona Str. 4, Riga LV-1712, Latvia
Correspondence to: Per E. Ahlberg1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.E.A. (Email: per.ahlberg@ebc.uu.se).
Abstract
The gap in our understanding of the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapod is beginning to close thanks to the discovery of new intermediate forms such as Tiktaalik roseae. Here we narrow it further by presenting the skull, exceptionally preserved braincase, shoulder girdle and partial pelvis of Ventastega curonica from the Late Devonian of Latvia, a transitional intermediate form between the 'elpistostegids' Panderichthys and Tiktaalik and the Devonian tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) Acanthostega and Ichthyostega. Ventastega is the most primitive Devonian tetrapod represented by extensive remains, and casts light on a part of the phylogeny otherwise only represented by fragmentary taxa: it illuminates the origin of principal tetrapod structures and the extent of morphological diversity among the transitional forms.
