SOMETHING FISHY
The image below is a photo of the exhibit panel. Following it is a transcript of the panel.
Long before the Age of the Dinosaurs, the first fishes swam in the sea.
Changes in fin structure increases the maneuverability and feeding opportunities of some aquatic vertebrates -- the first fishes.
During the Age of the Dinosaurs, this group became especially abundant and diverse. Today fishes are found worldwide, in both fresh and salt water.
Fishes: jawed aquatic vertebrates, including extinct Xiphactinus and approximately 25,000 living species
New feature:
- Unique fin structure: slender bones (called rays) support tail and fins, improve mobility
When? 380 million years ago to present
Fishes, or rayfins, are extremely diverse -- they have adapted to more niches than have all other vertebrates combined! Modern fishes range in shape from seahorses to tunas. Among the fishes depicted here, the herring represents the oldest lineage and most closely resembles its extinct relative, Xiphactinus.
PICTURE CAPTIONS:
- herring
- seahorse
- flounder
- lionfish
- tuna
- Diagram showing common ancestry and evolution of fishes, lungfishes, and vertebrates from organisms with lung or gas bladder developed from gut. Evolution of lungfishes and vertebrates is where unique tooth enamel branches off.
