Livoniana
Livoniana is a genus of prehistoric lobe-finned fish which lived during the Devonian period (Givetian - Frasnian stages, about 374 - 391 million years ago).[1]
| Livoniana Temporal range: Devonian | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Elpistostegalia |
| Family: | †Panderichthyidae |
| Genus: | †Livoniana |
| Species: | †L. multidentata |
| Binomial name | |
| †Livoniana multidentata Ahlberg et al., 2000 | |
This species is a transitional form between fish and the earliest tetrapods, like Tiktaalik, Ichthyostega and Acanthostega. Before Livoniana there was Elginerpeton and Obruchevichthys.
Four legs developed in water, not on land, to better escape waterliving predatory creatures like Hyneria. There were very lush forests, and particularly swamps, where four limbs became very useful to avoid predators.[2]
References
- Ahlberg, P.E., E. Luksevics and E. Mark-Kurik. 2000. "A near-tetrapod from the Baltic Middle Devonian". Paleontology 43(3): 533-548.
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2000/missinglink_transcript.shtml
External links
- Livoniana multidentata at Devonian Times
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