In Our Time: Science cover image

The Fish-Tetrapod Transition

In Our Time: Science

CHAPTER

Fishes and Lungs for Air Breathing in the Water

The Devonian fish had lungs for breathing air. It lived in an environment of tidal flats, delta, shallow streams and estuaries. We can see analogues today but they're not perfect analogues. The prompt to do this really takes place when we've got some clue about changing climate. Coincident with dropping CO2 levels is dropping oxygen levels at the equator. So that could be a driver to have if you're an air-breathing fish,. You just need to give it buoyancy by swimming off the coast where there are no gill flaps on your neck or anything like that.

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