I'm trying to trace human evolution back to the first eukaryotic cells (as a tool to research the evolution of various bodily systems), and I understand that lobe-finned fishes are considered a key transitional group between early fishes and the first tetrapods. However, I'm struggling to understand the relationship between ray-finned fishes and lobe-finned fishes and how they fit into the larger picture of evolutionary history. I’ve tried using google, Wikipedia, and YouTube, but I can’t seem to find a straightforward answer.
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
4
[should possibly be a comment but can't embed images there]
The rather clear consensus is that tetrapods are a subordinate group within lobe-finned fish, which is a sister group to ray-finned fish. See diagram below from here. This should be apparent from the wiki article on lobe-finned fish.
Just to be clear, yes, we're all fish from a cladistic point of view.
.
-
1
-
2
-
-
1$\begingroup$ @shigeta my personal favorite- phenotypic variation of the armor character! $\endgroup$ Jan 5 at 20:35
