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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Expression of Fluorescent Proteins in Branchiostoma lanceolatum by mRNA Injection into Unfertilized Oocytes

Expression of Fluorescent Proteins in Branchiostoma lanceolatum by mRNA Injection into Unfertilized Oocytes

Published on: January 12, 2015

A larval Devonian lungfish.

Keith S Thomson¹, Mark Sutton, Bethia Thomas

¹Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK. keith.thomson@university-museum.oxford.ac.uk

|December 20, 2003

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Palaeospondylus gunni, a Devonian fossil, is identified as the oldest known vertebrate larva. This tiny fossil represents the larval stage of a lungfish, likely Dipterus valenciennesi, requiring metamorphosis to reach adulthood.

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Area of Science:

Palaeontology
Vertebrate Evolution
Developmental Biology

Background:

Palaeospondylus gunni is a tiny vertebrate fossil from the Middle Devonian period.
Discovered in 1890, it is abundant at the Achanarras Quarry in Scotland.
Its identity and life stage have remained a long-standing puzzle in palaeontology.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the identity and life stage of the fossil Palaeospondylus gunni.
To understand the developmental processes of early vertebrates.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of fossil morphology.
Reconstruction of developmental pathways based on fossil evidence.

Main Results:

Palaeospondylus gunni is identified as the larval stage of a lungfish.
The most probable adult form is Dipterus valenciennesi.
Development to the adult form requires a distinct metamorphosis.

Conclusions:

Palaeospondylus represents the oldest known true vertebrate larva.
This finding sheds light on the evolution of metamorphosis in vertebrates.
It provides new insights into Devonian ecosystems and fish evolution.