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ICHTHYOSTEGA
(ik-fee-o-stay-gah)
meaning: "Fish roof"
Ichthyostega
Named By: Gunnar SaveinSoderbergh in 1932
Time Period: Late Devonian, 365-360 Ma
Location: Eastern Greenland
Size: 1.5 meters long
Diet: unavailable
Fossil(s): Enough fossils have been found to give a good understanding of Ichthyostega's build, however the forelimbs have never been found
Classification: | Chordata | Tetrapoda | Amphibia | Labyrinthodontia | Ichthyostegalia |
About

Ichthyostega (Greek: "fish roof") is an early tetrapod genus that lived at the end of the Upper Devonian period. It was a labyrinthodont, one of the first tetrapods in the fossil record. Ichthyostega possessed lungs and limbs that helped it navigate through shallow water in swamps. Though undoubtedly of amphibian build and habit, it is not considered a true member of the group in the narrow sense, as the first true amphibians appeared in the Carboniferous period. Until finds of other early tetrapods and closely related fishes in the late 20th century, Ichthyostega stood alone as the transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods, combining a fishlike tail and gills with an amphibian skull and limbs.

Read more about Ichthyostega at Wikipedia
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