The axial skeleton of the Devonian tetrapod Ichthyostega.

• Ichthyostega was the first Devonian tetrapod to be subject to a whole-body reconstruction and remains, together with Acanthostega one of only two Devonian tetrapods for which near-complete postcranial material is available. It is thus crucially important for our understanding of the earliest stages of tetrapod evolution and terrestrialization. Based on extensive re-examination of original material, augmented by recently collected specimens, we present a new reconstruction of Ichthyostega that differs substantially from those previously published and reveals hitherto unrecognised regionalization in the vertebral column. Ichthyostega is the earliest vertebrate to show obvious adaptations for non-swimming locomotion. Uniquely among early tetrapods, the presacral vertebral column shows pronounced regionalization of neural arch morphology, suggesting that it was adapted for dorsoventral rather than lateral flexion.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Mikrobiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Microbiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

evolution

palaeontology

vertebrate

tetrapod

Devonian

Ichthyostega

Organism biology

Organismbiologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)