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Related Experiment Videos

An early tetrapod from 'Romer's Gap'.

J A Clack1

  • 1University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. j.a.clack@zoo.cam.ac.uk

Nature
|July 5, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Pederpes, an early tetrapod from the Tournaisian epoch, shows early terrestrial locomotion and functional pentadactyly. This discovery bridges key gaps in understanding tetrapod evolution during Romer's Gap.

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Vertebrate Paleontology

Background:

  • The fossil record of early tetrapods has been limited, particularly during Romer's Gap, a 20-million-year period crucial for terrestrial adaptation.
  • New finds from the Devonian and Early Carboniferous periods have expanded our knowledge, but significant gaps remain in understanding tetrapod evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the only articulated skeleton of the tetrapod Pederpes, discovered from the Tournaisian epoch.
  • To analyze the morphology of Pederpes, focusing on its limbs and digits, to infer its locomotion and phylogenetic position.

Main Methods:

  • Description of the articulated skeleton of Pederpes.
  • Morphological analysis of the pes (foot) and manus (hand) to identify key features like digit number and robustness.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phylogenetic comparison with other early tetrapods to determine evolutionary relationships.

    • Main Results:

    • Pederpes possesses a pentadactyl pes with characteristics resembling later, more terrestrial Carboniferous tetrapods, distinct from Devonian paddle-like feet.
    • The manus shows a very small, possibly supernumerary digit, suggesting polydactyly in early tetrapods.
    • Pederpes represents the earliest known tetrapod exhibiting beginnings of terrestrial locomotion and is functionally pentadactyl.

    Conclusions:

    • Pederpes bridges the temporal and morphological gaps between Late Devonian and mid-Carboniferous tetrapod faunas.
    • The discovery suggests polydactyly may have persisted in early tetrapods beyond the Devonian period.
    • Pederpes, along with Whatcheeria, represents a primitive tetrapod clade, offering insights into the transition to terrestrial life.