They first appear in the fossil record about 200 million years ago (as the family Leptolepididae), with their homocercal caudal fin and caudal skeleton already fully developed.
When did actinopterygii evolve?
The origin of Actinopterygii is minimally constrained to the late Silurian (Ludlow; ca. 425 Ma) by the first sarcopterygians (Zhu et al. 2009), but the mid-Devonian Cheirolepis (Fig. 2D) is the oldest taxon consistently resolved as a ray-fin (Friedman 2007; Brazeau 2009; Zhu et al.
When did Teleosts appear?
The oldest teleost fossils date back to the late Paleozoic , evolving from fish related to the bowfins in the clade Holostei. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic they diversified, and as a result, 96 percent of all known fish species are teleosts.
When did lungs first evolve?
However, they also had lungs that they used to breathe oxygen. Between 390 and 360 million years ago , the descendents of these organisms began to live in shallower waters, and eventually moved to land. As they did, they experienced natural selection that shaped many adaptations for a terrestrial way of life.
When did the first fish appear on Earth?
Fish. The first fish appeared around 530 million years ago and then underwent a long period of evolution so that, today, they are by far the most diverse group of vertebrates.
Are fish older than dinosaurs?
Since the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, fish have evolved and diversified, leading to the wide variety of fish species we see today. Sixty-six million years ago, it was a tough time to be a dinosaur (since they were, you know, all dying), but it was a great time to be a fish.
Did dinosaurs evolve fish?
As the earliest known bony fish, “Ligulalepis” is closely related to our own ancestors. ... A group of animals called osteichthians have bony skeletons and jaws, and include many modern fish and all amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Are sturgeons teleosts?
Sturgeons, paddlefishes, and bichirs are bony , ray-finned fishes (i.e., members of the class Osteichthyes, subclass Actinopterygii), but are members of the infraclass Chondrostei and are therefore not part of the same group as the more numerous and familiar teleosts.
Why are teleosts so successful?
Numerous ideas have been put forward to explain teleost success, including the flexible structure of their jaws , a diversity of reproductive strategies and the symmetry of their tail fins.
Are tuna teleosts?
Found from the surf zone to the abyssal depths of the ocean, teleosts include eels, catfish, tarpon, tuna, halibut, flounder, trout, cod, herring, salmon, and many other tasty and nutritious fish. They also include the fantail goldfish shown here.
Did gills evolve from lungs?
Gills were present in the earliest fish, but lungs also evolved pretty early on , potentially from the tissue sac that surrounds the gills. Swim bladders evolved soon after lungs, and are thought to have evolved from lung tissue.
Which was the first animal on earth?
A comb jelly . The evolutionary history of the comb jelly has revealed surprising clues about Earth's first animal.
When did humans start breathing?
Evidence of Earliest Oxygen-Breathing Life on Land Discovered. A spike in the chromium contained in ancient rock deposits, laid down nearly 2.5 billion years ago , reveals what appears to be the earliest evidence for oxygen-breathing life on land.
What is the oldest fish on earth?
As for the current holder of the record for oldest fish in the sea, it's the Greenland shark . A 2016 study examining these cold-water sharks' eyes found one female estimated to be nearly 400 years old—good enough to hold the record for the oldest known vertebrate not just under the sea but anywhere on the planet.
What is the first fish on earth?
During the Cambrian period, the first fish-like creatures (although definitely not recognized as true fish by paleontologists) appeared, around 530 million years ago. The Pikaia , which looked more like a worm than a fish, is perhaps the earliest ancestor of fish.
What era did humans first appear?
Hominins first appear by around 6 million years ago, in the Miocene epoch , which ended about 5.3 million years ago. Our evolutionary path takes us through the Pliocene, the Pleistocene, and finally into the Holocene, starting about 12,000 years ago. The Anthropocene would follow the Holocene.
