Latest analysis shows that human limbs share a genetic programme with the gills of cartilaginous fishes such as sharks and skates, providing evidence to support a century-old theory on the origin of limbs that had been widely ...
Evolution
Apr 19, 2016
1
287
If you're heading to the beach this summer, the thought of sharks might cross your mind. I don't mean wondering whether a shark will take you for dinner (that's very, very unlikely) but rather, how these remarkable creatures ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 22, 2021
0
51
Vision is a crucial sense for most animals, and vertebrates have evolved a highly adaptable set of opsin genes that generate light-sensitive pigments to decode the retinal image. These opsins include a rod opsin to help see ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 9, 2020
0
179
The water-to-land transition is a leap in the history of vertebrate evolution and one of the most important scientific issues in vertebrate evolution. Previous studies have shown that vertebrate landing occurred in bony fishes.
Evolution
Feb 26, 2021
11
387
An investigation of a 415-million-year-old fish skull strongly suggests that the last common ancestor of all jawed vertebrates, including humans, was not very shark-like. It adds further weight to the growing idea that sharks ...
Archaeology
Jan 12, 2015
0
533
The perception of taste is one of the most important senses and helps us identify beneficial foods and avoid harmful substances. For instance, our fondness for sweet and savory foods results from our need to consume carbohydrates ...
Evolution
Dec 29, 2023
0
133
In a new study, an international research team led by Sebastian Stumpf from the University of Vienna describes an exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of the ancient shark Asteracanthus. This extremely rare fossil find comes ...
Evolution
Jan 14, 2021
0
144
Cartilaginous fish have changed much more in the course of their evolutionary history than previously believed. Evidence for this thesis has been provided by new fossils of a ray-like shark, Protospinax annectans, which demonstrate ...
Evolution
Feb 28, 2023
0
264
A team of researchers including SF State Assistant Professor of Biology Scott Roy has sequenced the entire genome of the elephant shark, uncovering several features that may shed light on the evolution of bony vertebrates.
Biotechnology
Jan 8, 2014
0
0
The emergence of jaws in primitive fish allowed vertebrates to become top predators. What is less appreciated is another evolutionary innovation that may have been just as important for the success of early vertebrates: the ...
Evolution
Sep 29, 2020
0
172
