Van Wassenbergh Sam, Herrel Anthony, Adriaens Dominique, Huysentruyt Frank, Devaere Stijn, Aerts Peter
Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Nature. 2006 Apr 13;440(7086):881. doi: 10.1038/440881a.
An important step towards understanding the evolution of terrestriality in vertebrates is to identify how the aquatic ancestors of tetrapods were able to access ground-based prey. We have discovered that the 'eel catfish' Channallabes apus, an inhabitant of the muddy swamps of tropical Africa, has a remarkable ability to forage and capture prey on land. The animal's capacity to bend its head down towards the ground while feeding seems to be an essential feature that may have enabled fish to make the transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial mode.
了解脊椎动物陆地生活方式演化的一个重要步骤是确定四足动物的水生祖先如何能够获取陆地上的猎物。我们发现，“鳗鲶”非洲颈鲶，一种生活在热带非洲泥泞沼泽中的生物，具有在陆地上觅食和捕捉猎物的非凡能力。这种动物在进食时将头部向下弯向地面的能力似乎是一个关键特征，可能使鱼类能够从水生模式转变为陆地模式。
