During the Devonian, the partly terrestrial _______ arose from an ancestor shared with lungfishes that had enlarged, muscular pectoral and pelvic fins, each jointed to the body by a single enlarged bone.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The features described (enlarged, muscular pectoral and pelvic fins jointed to the body by a single enlarged bone) are characteristic of the earliest amphibians, which emerged during the Devonian period. Coelacanths and hagfishes are both more closely related to jawed fishes than to tetrapods, and reptiles did not arise until much later. Chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fishes) also existed during the Devonian period, but did not develop the adaptations necessary for a terrestrial lifestyle.

During the Devonian, the Partly Terrestrial _______ Arose from an Ancestor