Scientists have described the ancestor of tetrapods. He had unusually long fingers

The authors of the new work studied the remains of a living creature that lay at the bottom of a lake not connected to others

bodies of water. Researchers found that it lived on the shore and died at the bottom of the lake.

Previously, seven species were found in this placeprehistoric vertebrates, and now researchers have described the eighth, called Termonerpeton (termonerpteron) makrydactylus. This translates to crawling along the edge and having long fingers.

Looks like all eight animals accidentally fell into the wateror someone forced them to jump there. They couldn't get out and died. Or because of too high a temperature, or because of the wrong chemical composition of the water, or maybe they just drowned and sank to the bottom.

Timothy Smithson, Fellow at the University of Cambridge

The size of the animal was about half a meter, andthe legs were short and thick. Scientists believe that they are dealing with an ancient primitive ancestor of terrestrial vertebrates (also called tetrapods, Tetrapoda).

Outwardly, thermonerpterons were similar to lizards withunusually long fourth or ring fingers. According to the authors, the preserved paws are especially valuable and will help to understand how the limbs changed in the early stages of development.

Restored limb

Modern lizards have a similar structure of the backlimbs - it allows them to quickly grab onto the ground. But the researchers note that termonerpteron cannot be called a direct ancestor of any of today's animals.

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