Re: Tiktaalik

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

David Marjanovic wrote:

> In this respect *Tiktaalik* is no more spectacular than your average 
> frogfish.

Except... that we *know* what _Tiktaalik_ and its ilk evolved into.

Maybe frogfish will ultimately evolve into landmass-conquering air-breathing 
quasi-tetrapods.  Maybe one of these frogfish-descendents will be 
intelligent, and develop the gift of language - in which case, they will 
write scientific papers about the importance of the frogfish.  :-)

> Because our own ancestry is involved (hey, I'm not interested in lungfish 
> either), because more people are interested in the transition to land 
> (which was far away from *Tiktaalik* -- try *Pederpes* at best)

I agree that the emphasis on _Tiktaalik_ is partly parochial.  After all, 
_Tiktaalik_ is playing for the 'home team' - which includes tetrapods, which 
includes humans, which includes (presumably) _Nature_ editors.  But the 
transition from water to land is a big deal.  I know arthropods made it look 
easy (often no change in body plan is required), but it's a tougher gig for 
vertebrates if they want to live on land permanently.  _Tiktaalik_ and 
_Panderichthys_ and _Ichthyostega_ represent the beginnings of this process, 
and put the ball in motion for guys like _Pederpes_.

BTW, I like lungfish.  You take that back!

Cheers

Tim