Neil Shubin
Neil Shubin
Neil Shubinis an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer. He is the Robert R. Bensley Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, Associate Dean of Organismal Biology and Anatomy and Professor on the Committee of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago along with being the Provost of the Field Museum of Natural History. He is best known for his discovery of Tiktaalik roseae...
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth22 December 1960
few high uncovered
We did a few high fives when we uncovered the fossil, but there's only so much celebrating you can do in the Arctic.
animals early inside similar version walk
When we look inside the fin, we see a shoulder, we see an elbow, and we see an early version of a wrist, which is very similar to that of all animals that also walk on land.
begun crack sort
We've really only begun to sort of crack that spot.
arctic classic inside rocks tropical
Outside, it's a classic Arctic scene. But inside those rocks is a tropical world.
against elbow extend lie tip wrist
It could flex the elbow and extend the wrist so the tip of the fin could lie against the ground. It could do a push-up.
either itself likely pull push rather seal straight walked
It could either push itself straight up and down or pull itself forward. It more likely flopped around like a seal rather than walked like a horse.
fish shows surprising
It is a fish that shows a surprising combination of characteristics of land-living animals.
animal clearly creature itself support
Here is a creature with fins that can do push-ups. This is clearly an animal that is able to support itself on the ground.
creature
Here is a creature with fins that can do push-ups.
began rock
When we got back into the lab, we removed the rock from the bone, and we began to find some really significant stuff.
looking lots saw
We were always looking over our shoulders; we saw lots of tracks.
earliest functional major parts similar ways wrist
Most of the major joints of the fin are functional in this fish. The shoulder, elbow, and even parts of the wrist are already there and working in ways similar to the earliest land-living animals.
functional major
Most of the major joints of the fin are functional in this fish.
creatures fish fossil land mosaic saw showing time
What we saw was a real mosaic between characteristics of fish and those previously thought to be only in land animals. The fossil was showing us how creatures were assembled over time to live on land.