‘Re-run’ evolution puts fin on fish backs
Though present in more than 6,000 living species of fish, the adipose fin, a small appendage that lies between the dorsal fin and tail, has no clear function and is thought to be vestigial. However, a...
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Bony fish link history of fins and fingers
Ancient lobe-finned fish swapped pectoral fins for life underwater for strong, bony structures, such as those of Tiktaalik roseae. This shift let emerging tetrapods, or animals with limbs, crawl in...
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2 different sea creatures evolved to swim like this
Two kinds of sea creatures—the Persian carpet flatworm and black ghost knifefish—last shared a common ancestor 550 million years ago. But new research shows they both evolved to swim with elongated...
View ArticleFrowny fish named for its red ‘fingers’
Scientists have announced the name of a new genus and species of frogfish, small stocky creatures found in most tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. The fish was first seen and collected...
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Ray and skate ‘wings’ come from 2 sets of genes
Skates and rays get their striking, wing-like pectoral fins from repurposed genes, according to new research. Studying embryonic skates, scientists discovered that typical limb-development genes build...
View ArticleFish fins can sense touch just like fingertips
Lightly brush your fingertips across your keyboard. What do you feel? The smoothness of plastic? Ridges, gaps, maybe a sticky key? Bumps on the F and J keys? The human fingertip is a finely tuned...
View ArticleFins rays and fingers are related after all
In order for the descendants of fish to become creatures that could walk on land, fingers and toes had to replace long, elegant fin rays. Scientists have now shown that the same cells that make fin...
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Why fish bend their fins like floppy slices of pizza
In the same way we might curve a piece of pizza at the crust to keep a thin slice from drooping, fish curve their fins slightly to stiffen them for swimming and control their movement underwater. Using...
View ArticleHydraulic system in fins gives tuna extra speed
New research suggests that pressurized hydraulic fin control—a vascular specialization that is unique among vertebrates—supports the outstanding maneuverability and precision locomotion of tuna....
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How fish fins evolved on the way to land-ready limbs
Fossilized fish from the late Devonian period, roughly 375 million years ago, are shedding light on the evolution of fins as they began to transition into limbs fit for walking on land. The study uses...
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