Fish-Land Fossil... (1 Viewer)

[nkgupta80]

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000A040D-36A2-1434-B6A283414B7F0000

Another missing link discovered

 

[ngdawg]

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000A040D-36A2-1434-B6A283414B7F0000

Another missing link discovered

I saw this in my local paper and then read your link. While I find it to be really cool, I don't know I'd go so far as to call it a missing link quite yet. There are fish now (whose name escapes me) that spend time on land-so far no correlation between the fossil and this current species.
The skeleton of whales show clearly defined 'hands' where there fins are; dolphin skeletons show rudimentary 'hands'. It is possible this newly found fossil is related somehow, although gills are said to be part of its makeup.
I suspect it will be a while longer before they classify it as mammal, amphibian or something else.
Edit: "lungfish" is the fish that uses both gills and a 'bladder-type' lung when out of water. More from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0405_060405_fish.html