Chris Cantell Discusses Science: Interesting finding in Latvia by Zuzana Fabcinova

Scientists have been delighted by finding a skull of a four-legged animal recently. Nothing surprising, you would say, even a dog has four legs. Exciting fact (exciting at least for scientists) about this is that the skull has once probably belonged to a most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history. What a unique discovery! The skeleton consisting of skull, shoulders and and part of the pelvis was found in Latvia and is likely to become crucial demonstration of the evolution of fish to advanced animals that can walk on land, including amphibians, birds and mammals.
Ventastega curonica, that is the real name of the prehistoric fish, lived approximately 365 million years ago, in Late Devonian time, which is long before first dinosaurs appeared. It probably lived in swamps and shallow fresh or brackish water lakes and could easily crawl through banks. Its most common sustenance were small fish.
It had been believed until the finding was made that Ventastega didn't have digits or limbs, but probably had paddle-like limbs or fins. Some scientists though argued that it was four-legged and the Latvian finding made their hypothesis sound much more realistic, as key parts of pelvis and shoulders were found and that is why they suppose that limbs with digits were attached to the animal. It is pity that limb bones weren't found because that would be an irrefutable evidence and would beat any other assumptions about Ventastega not being a tetrapod.
The finding might be very helpful for evolutionary biologists as it offers a basis for new evolution theories. It has also aroused numerous questions about the reason why water dwellers started to develop primitive legs, whether they needed them to get from one place to another and fins weren't enough any more.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/ap_on_sc/sci_fish_evolution;_ylt=AvxvKXnWiXVSqQ2dhXMt916s0NUE

by Zuzana Fabcinova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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