View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition.
Authors: Pardo, Jason D. (AUTHOR), Mann, Arjan (AUTHOR)
Source: Science. 6/18/2026, Vol. 392 Issue 6804, p1292-1296. 5p.
Subjects: Metamorphosis, Larvae, Tetrapods, Ontogeny, Biological evolution, Paleontology
Abstract: Modern amphibians are characterized by an aquatic larval stage that ends abruptly with a period of widespread tissue remodeling (metamorphosis) upon transition to terrestrial adulthood. A transient larval stage ending in gradual metamorphosis is often assumed for the earliest digited tetrapods, but direct evidence of this larval stage is lacking. Exceptionally preserved stem tetrapod hatchlings show that a transient larval stage was absent in tetrapods both before and after the fin-to-limb transition; instead we identified soft- and hard-tissue evidence of direct development, falsifying hypotheses of an ancestral origin of metamorphosis or of a gradual larval-postlarval transition serving as a template for lissamphibian metamorphosis. We argue that a transient larval period culminating in metamorphosis originated near or within the tetrapod crown group as part of a broader suite of traits associated with terrestrialization. Editor's summary: The earliest tetrapod colonizers of land have been considered to have life histories somewhat similar to modern amphibians, including the presence of an aquatic larval stage, and it has been hypothesized that this transition may have facilitated the broader transition from water to land. Pardo et al. looked at many fossils of stem tetrapods from the Mazon Creek Lagerstatte and found no evidence of such larval morphological change. Instead, both before and after the fin-to-limb transition, hatchling to adult growth proceeded through a direct development model. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 194701404
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pardo%2C+Jason+D%2E%22">Pardo, Jason D.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mann%2C+Arjan%22">Mann, Arjan</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 6/18/2026, Vol. 392 Issue 6804, p1292-1296. 5p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metamorphosis%22">Metamorphosis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Larvae%22">Larvae</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tetrapods%22">Tetrapods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ontogeny%22">Ontogeny</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+evolution%22">Biological evolution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Paleontology%22">Paleontology</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Modern amphibians are characterized by an aquatic larval stage that ends abruptly with a period of widespread tissue remodeling (metamorphosis) upon transition to terrestrial adulthood. A transient larval stage ending in gradual metamorphosis is often assumed for the earliest digited tetrapods, but direct evidence of this larval stage is lacking. Exceptionally preserved stem tetrapod hatchlings show that a transient larval stage was absent in tetrapods both before and after the fin-to-limb transition; instead we identified soft- and hard-tissue evidence of direct development, falsifying hypotheses of an ancestral origin of metamorphosis or of a gradual larval-postlarval transition serving as a template for lissamphibian metamorphosis. We argue that a transient larval period culminating in metamorphosis originated near or within the tetrapod crown group as part of a broader suite of traits associated with terrestrialization. Editor's summary: The earliest tetrapod colonizers of land have been considered to have life histories somewhat similar to modern amphibians, including the presence of an aquatic larval stage, and it has been hypothesized that this transition may have facilitated the broader transition from water to land. Pardo et al. looked at many fossils of stem tetrapods from the Mazon Creek Lagerstatte and found no evidence of such larval morphological change. Instead, both before and after the fin-to-limb transition, hatchling to adult growth proceeded through a direct development model. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194701404
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1126/science.aeb7635
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 5
        StartPage: 1292
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Metamorphosis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Larvae
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tetrapods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ontogeny
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biological evolution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Paleontology
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pardo, Jason D.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mann, Arjan
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 18
              M: 06
              Text: 6/18/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00368075
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 392
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6804
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Science
              Type: main
ResultId 1