Evolution News and Updates 2016: Did Human Fingers Come From Fins? Mutant Fish Provides Evolutionary Insight, Clues

Did we use to have fins before we had fingers? Animals including humans may have evolved from fish.

Scientists from the University of Chicago found that a gene-edited mutant fish revealed how fish fins evolved to the fingers we have today. This may be how land animals formed and grew their limbs and digits to adapt to land.

Accidental Discovery of Fin Rays Actually Related to Fingers and Toes
A new study published in the journal Nature revealed that fin rays are actually related to human fingers and toes. The New York Times report that the accidental discovery will give answers as to how our ancestors moved from water to land and how our fingers and toes came to be today.

Gene-Edited Zebrafish Experiment Helped Make the Connection
The scientists used a new gene-editing technique to find out how developing cells in fish fins are related to our digits. In order to find out more about the process, the scientists bred mutated zebrafish to identify the cells linked both fins and digits.

"We found that the cells that mark the wrists and fingers of mice and people were exclusively in the fin rays of fish," co-author Andrew Gehrke said, as reported by International Business Times.

The researchers found that the Hox genes were important for embryo growth and limb development so they observed it after fertilization up to the formation of an adult fish fin. When these genes are deleted, they do not turn into fingers and toes and when done the same to the mutant zebrafish, their fin rays are smaller.

The scientists were able to make the connection when they observed that upon deleting the Hox genes, the cells in the mutated zebrafish stopped going to the tips of the fins. This resulted in having smaller fins and they saw the presence of cells that are in cartilage bones.

Was Father of Evolution Charles Darwin Right?
Charles Darwin was the scientist best known for his Evolution of Man Theory. The new study revealed that human toes, fingers and limbs may really have come from fish fins. However, Business Insider points out that the analogies were observed in tetrapod fishes because of the similarity in bone patterns in the limbs. It is unknown if the same observations can be made for other groups of fishes.