Ray-Finned Fish: Are They Tetrapods? Unraveling Their Evolutionary Origins
Ray-finned fish are not tetrapods. Tetrapods are four-limbed animals that evolved from lobe-finned fish during the Devonian period. Unlike tetrapodomorphs, ray-finned fish, like goldfish, do not possess the adaptations needed for life on land. Thus, they belong to a different evolutionary branch than tetrapods. Ray-finned fish and tetrapods diverged from a shared lineage approximately 400 … Read more