Science
A single genetic change turned a fish’s fins into limbs – BBC Focus Magazine
The discovery sheds light on how our ancient relatives first came onto land.
The movement of vertebrates from water to land was an iconic step in the evolutionary timeline. Now, research by a team at Harvard University has found that a small genetic change may have been all that was needed to allow a fin to develop into a limb.
The researchers were investigating the mutations that can affect the pectoral fins of zebrafish. Unlike limbs, which have complicated bone structures and numerous joints, zebrafish fins are fairly simple. The team discovered that a small genetic mutation…
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