Tag: Evolutionary biology
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Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
A new timeline for the origin of otophysan fish Scientists have long noted that two‑thirds of all freshwater fishes possess a sophisticated hearing system known as the Weberian apparatus, a set of middle-ear bones that lets these fish hear much higher frequencies than most ocean species. In a stunning revision of this history, UC Berkeley…
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Atlas Blue Butterfly Sets World Record with 229 Chromosome Pairs
Atlas Blue Butterfly Breaks World Record for Chromosomes The tiny Atlas blue butterfly, Polyommatus atlantica, has been genetically confirmed to carry the highest number of chromosomes among multicellular animals. Researchers report an astonishing 229 pairs of chromosomes, far surpassing the chromosome counts of many of its close relatives, which often have about 23 or 24…
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Tongue-Bite Innovation Rewrites 310 Million-Year Fish Evolution
Unveiling the Tongue-Bite: A 310-Million-Year Innovation A recent study by a University of Michigan-led team reveals the earliest known tongue-like biting structure in an ancient fish. The species, Platysomus, lived about 310 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian period, a time when ray-finned fishes were experimenting with new feeding strategies. The discovery shows that these…