RE: Coelacanth article in current NatGeo

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Erik Boehm
> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 4:37 PM
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu; rtravsky@uwyo.edu
> Subject: Re: Coelacanth article in current NatGeo
> 
> This reminds me of a question I've had for a while:
> 
> What use were lobe-fins before they were adapted into limbs?
> Why did the fleshy lobes evolve in the first place?
> 

Some modern lobefins (i.e., some of the lungfish) can use them to burrow.

Various rayfins have converged on the lobefin form for use as underwater 
"feet", either to brace themselves against currents or to
scuttle along on the sea floor.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA