Asked by Puneet Madurai on Apr 27, 2024
Verified
What nonskeletal adaptations allowed fishes to evolve into land dwellers?
Nonskeletal Adaptations
Changes in organisms that involve functional or physiological modifications rather than changes to the skeletal structure.
Land Dwellers
Organisms that live primarily or exclusively on land as opposed to aquatic or aerial environments.
- Describe how fish evolved into land-dwelling animals, covering both skeletal and non-skeletal changes.
Verified Answer
MT
Manjinder ThandiMay 03, 2024
Final Answer :
Lungs, which had previously served an accessory purpose, became larger and more complex. Division of the previously two-chambered heart into three chambers allowed blood to flow in two circuits, one to the body and one to those increasingly important lungs. Changes to the inner ear improved detection of airborne sounds. Eyes became protected from drying out by eyelids.
Learning Objectives
- Describe how fish evolved into land-dwelling animals, covering both skeletal and non-skeletal changes.