What was special about Tiktaalik?

Its extraordinary blend of gills, scales, fins and lungs, combined with a movable neck, sturdy ribcage and crocodile-like head, placed Tiktaalik half way between fish and the earliest four-legged land animals. The report shows that the animal had a large, robust pelvic girdle, a prominent hip joint, and long hind fins.

What kind of fish is Tiktaalik?

Tiktaalik roseae, better known as the “fishapod,” is a 375 million year old fossil fish which was discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004. Its discovery sheds light on a pivotal point in the history of life on Earth: when the very first fish ventured out onto land.

Why is a Tiktaalik named a Fishapod?

The name Tiktaalik is an Inuktitut word meaning ” burbot”, a shallow-water fish. The “fishapod” genus received this name after a suggestion by Inuit elders of Canada’s Nunavut Territory, where the fossil was discovered .

Is Tiktaalik extinct?

Tiktaalik roseae, an extinct fishlike aquatic animal that lived about 380–385 million years ago (during the earliest late Devonian Period) and was a very close relative of the direct ancestors of tetrapods (four-legged land vertebrates).

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Tiktaalik was specialized for life in shallow water, propping itself up on the bottom and snapping up prey. The adaptations it had for this lifestyle ended up providing the stepping stones for vertebrates to climb onto dry land — but of course, Tiktaalik was not “aiming” to evolve features for land-living.

Is Tiktaalik the missing link?

In many news articles, Tiktaalik was billed as “the missing link” between fish and land vertebrates — but that description is a bit misleading. First, Tiktaalik is more accurately described as a transitional form than a missing link.

When was Tiktaalik found?

Tiktaalik was a tetrapod which lived approximately 375 million years ago during the Late Devonian Period. It was discovered on on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada and was described and named Tiktaalik in 2006 by Ted Daeschler and Neil Shubin . The name is an indigenous Native American name for a fresh water fish.